After reloading with my original retail CD of XP, updating for the umpteenth time and all that, checking msconfig frequently to see how things were proceeding, then screwing up royally (I will not admit in public just what or how), whereupon,
“Windows cannot find ‘msconfig’…” accompanied by an alarming sound and a big red button scored with a white X
System Administrative Tools by means of Start Menu Properties, Advanced, cannot be made to appear
Same with, Help and Support, “Windows cannot find ‘helpctr.exe’…
System Tools, System Information, gets me, “Help and Support Error: Windows cannot open Help and Support because a system service is not running” (and I had not gotten around at that time to fiddling with services)
What evil mechanism do I think what I think has seized me and how?
Compromised at boot?
