Problems such as yours are usually the result of installation and/or removal of
3rd party applications and the use of registry cleaners. Stay away from registry
cleaners.

Although Windows XP's System Restore does restore the registry and can get one
out of a jam once in a while, I've found that sometimes the required restore
point is not usable.

After your reinstallation of WinXP, I recommend that you look into running ERUNT
to backup and restore your registry beyond what is done via System Restore. It
also includes a registry optimizer tool.

ERUNT
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/

I use the Autoback.exe tool that is supplied in the current version of ERUNT.
This backs up the complete registry during system startup. By default it saves
30 days worth, each one in its own dated folder. I limit mine to the last 7
days. This automatic routine solves the problem of the occasionally forgotten
System Restore backup task. ERUNT backups can easily be restored from within
Windows or the Recovery Console.

Good luck!

"wernertk" <wernertk@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5A2A98CF-DC1F-4BBB-A29C-F43555C9558C@microsoft.com...
> Thanks David.
> I was thinking that XP needs a format as well, so I'm gonna do a fresh
> install today :)
> Should fix up the error, I'm sure.
>
> Thanks again for your help and time you took looking into this with me. Just
> hoped that we could've figured out what caused it :p
> Regards
>
> "David Webb" wrote:
>
>> Since your original post implied that SP3 started these problems, why not try
>> uninstalling it and revert back to SP2?
>>
>> If all is well afterwards then reinstall SP3 but be sure to deactivate your
>> anti-virus app before doing so.
>>
>> Other than that, I'm out of ideas.
>>
>> Good luck!
>>
>> "wernertk" <wernertk@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:6ABFE5D6-ECF2-4090-8854-48A23C5A9B81@microsoft.com...
>> > System Restore did not fix it.
>> >
>> > Something strange though. I wanted to see if adding virtual drives would
>> > help, and when I added one (virtual cd drive) the "explore" option for My
>> > Computer disappeared... When I right click My Computer, I can only open it.
>> > There's no option to explore it.
>> >
>> > Pressing WinKey+E gives me a "The Parameter is incorrect" error box, and
>> > explorer does not open... mmm. Hope this can be of help. Adding the regkey
>> > entries in the link you provided earlier, gives back to option to "explore"
>> > My Computer.
>>
>>
>>