You could try using Safe Mode , Run >  msconfig.
You can select Safe Mode by tapping  F8 many times during startup until Advanced Menu is displayed ,
then use Arrow keys to select Safe Mode  & press "Enter" key.

I'm very surprised if that is true. Can you confirm this via MS ?

System restore points are sequential and incremental (i.e. each only records changes since the previous one). So if one is corrupted, earlier ones won't work either.

Since those are no longer useful, after you've solved your other problems, I would suggest that you disable system restore (which removes all the restore points), reboot, then reenable system restore.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/plan/faqsrwxp.mspx

Look at question

Can I make System Restore permanently retain a restore point?

Your 'proof' does in deed surprise me. My understanding, and apparently wasn't very well thought through, was that SR would somehow 'role' pass (ie ignore)a (given) file whether it was good or bad until it got to the file at the roll-back date. I see now that each file needs to be intact for the chain to properly proceed and thus the need for WFP to help keep it intact. When WFP slips up SFC is there to pick up the slack. I think that SFC should be built into the boot process as a default. It would save OEMs a lot in tech support.

Thanks for making me a little more knowledgable. Q. Can the System Volume Information folder be 'saved' (and restored if necessary) to a cd, Recycle Bin or another (dummy) User Account ?

SFC at boot?  It's a nice thought but are you willing to sit through a 20 minute boot up?  Maybe we're thinking of two different things but when I type sfc: /scannow, it takes 15-20 minutes to finish up on my 8300...

It appears that I misspoke. You're right about the time factor. The way sfc currently works it wouldn't be appropriate. I'm expecting something better out of MS in their new OS.

maxd,

In reply to your question whether system restore points can be 'saved' in recycle bin or whatever, I don't know (not the kind of thing I'd try) but I doubt it. The SR would start from the current system configuration and since the information stored in each restore point is sequential and incremental, I expect that it would get very confused if you put back additional restore points into system volume information. The FAQ says very clearly that you can't save a restore point permanently. If you are willing to risk wrecking your current series of restore points, I suppose experimenting would be the only way to find out...

I think that you'd need to copy them to some folder then delete from there to move them to the recycle bin, since disabling SR removes them immediately from System Volume Information, as far as I know bypassing recycle bin. If you delete them to the recycle bin directly from System Volume information, I'm not sure what SR would make of that when you disable it.

You're probably right that it can't be done. I was thinking it might be possible to disable SR, delete the Restore Point(s), reboot and see if the Recycle Bin could Restore them to the SVI folder. I'm not overly concerned about losing my points.