WinXP -- sudden problems (Search, Help, MediaPlayer fail!)

[Basilisk]

WinXP (SP2 on AMD 2500++ w/ 1GB ram) has been solid until today. I haven't a clue what's upset it. Rebooting doesn't improve/change matters.

- In Windows Explorer (-not- IE): when I click the Search icon (magnifying glass) a -blank- search-panel is displayed. NO options for seach name/criteria/anything nor any text at all is displayed -- although the area in which these would display (the left-side panel) is presented. Ditto if I click "Search" off the Start page.

- When I click "Help and Support" off the Start panel, nothing is presented -- no new window nor any response.

- When Windows Media Player [WMP] tries to play an MP3 off the hard disk, a pop-up box indicates "An internal application error has occurred". Ditto with .WMA files. Other players have no problems with these files.

I expect I can download and re-load WMP, but I haven't a clue about debugging the first two problems. (Reloading WinXP seems a bit drastic!) I expect there are more problems but I haven't a clue what's triggered this. ('Recently upgraded memory from .5 to 1 GB of faster memory, but I'm running at stock speeds and I didn't notice the problem before now.)


Searching MicroSoft.com didn't help. I'd appreciate any clues on how to get the first two problems repaired. Thanks!

 

[Schadenfroh]

use system restore

 

[Basilisk]

Thanks, I'll try that when I get back home. I''m now at another WinXP system where I can look into things I lost at home.

Q: when does the system create System Restore points? (Weekly, e.g.) Is it automatic, or should I have doing it regularly? I'm at home on UNIX systems but not on Windows.

Edit: Ignore the Q' I've enough resources to answer that on the healthy system I'm working on at my friends. 'Wish this computer were still at my house instead of 25 miles away -- it's be a lot easier to use while fixing the other beast!

 

[Basilisk]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
use system restore

Well... that -sounded- good. But the entry off the Help page isn't accessible (see earlier) and invoking C:\WINDOWS\system32\Restore\restrui.exe directly opens an empty window on the troubled system (but opens the correct package on other systems)!

Just now, when I tried to Quote your message under IE, the text-entry window refused to appear. I had to open FireFox to type this.

Sigh... what next?!