The other day I was doping out some Win98 issue and was reminded of another famous "When all else fails" Windows solution, if not part of regular maintenance when "the system becomes slow or unstable": re-install the OS. The software companies latched onto that one too - whenever a Bad Thing happens during or as a result of installation, reinstall the app. Why? What makes them think it's gonna be - and why *should* it be - any better the second time?

You're right - these software companies (including Microsoft) think we have nothing better to do with our time than dope out problems with their stuff. Installing non-MS wares or updating existing apps in Windows was always a crap shoot (what's this gonna break?), not to mention the constant badgering from MS-wares looking to regain default status (God forbid you dare to use Eudora instead of  Lookout Distress, or Opera instead of Internet Exploiter), but inexcusable is how much of the time Microsoft's *own* stuff - including updates - breaks something else.