I don't know how we missed posting this tip, but somehow we did so now I'm rectifying the situation.
One of the best features of Windows XP (and now Vista) is the ability to undo many problems that we may cause ourself or the system causes through updates or other unknown situations. It is called System Restore and it allows you to roll back your system to a previous time when all was blissful without losing any valuable data like email, pictures, and other documents.
The safest way to perform a System Restore is:
Keep these instructions handy, and you will find that it comes in handy from time-to-time.
Links:
[1] https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&business=rick@yourpcpartner.com&item_name=Buy
[2] http://www.helpmerick.com/node/1476
[3] http://www.helpmerick.com/node/1471