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Can’t see any Device Manager problems and can only connect to the Internet using my sons computer. Thus any updates cannot be carried out as the computer needing the updates cannot connect to get them (a true catch 22). Can’t find a corporate download of Direct X so cant go with your suggestion – but thanks for your interest

Sorry – in trying to be brief, I made myself unclear
Database does have external links to 3 text files (overcomes problems where I can only export from a DOS based database -which I have no control over-to a static file ie not ODBC). This way the user just needs to re-export to the same text files on regular basis and data is relatively up to date and queries etc work.
I do not have front and back ends – just one database with the external links mentioned above. While I can get to this and manipulate to my hearts content, this only applies on the machine it is actually stored on.
Although this drive is available over the network, Access keeps telling me it can’t find the file when I try to open it. This inability to open is irrespective of whether I create a shortcut and try to open it or open using both mapped drive designation or full UNC from File open
If I need to go the backend /frontend route, will my existing external links to the text files prevent me from doing this.
The machines are using XP Pro
TIA

Thanks for quick response but this made no difference

More info:
Have re-installed Windows (no improvement but lost my boot.ini settings) and run SFC
Removed and re-nstalled all 2000 add on components
Event viewer now shows following errors (looks like services that cant start but I am out of my depth badly:)
W3ctrs 1003
rasctrs 2001
Winmngt 37
Ftpctrs 1000
IISinfoCtrs 1003
Where I could understand the messages, they referred to DWORD 0
Attempts to maunaully start services did not work
Any ideas appreciated

2 Steps forward, 3 back
After much frustration, I copied the svchost registry entries from my sons machine and seem to have overcome the svchost domination of the CPU. Note I also rean sfc and re-installed Windows before this) However still cant get on Net/Email and now cannot even create a DUN – When I try, system crashes with an error in iwconn.exe (lost piece of paper but thinks thats it)
Any clues

The modems both work and have no conflicts.
As I type, I have one answering a phone call and am using the other to access the Net.
The only problem is that the external modem disappears from Windows on an irregular basis (no pattern). When it magically reappears, both modems still work with no changes to jumper settings or anything else. I cant understand how jumper settings would be involved

Thanks for all the responses but I must still not be explaining properly:
Modem is always turned on before computer startup
Jumper settings are never changed
Modem is not moved between startups (re electrical interference)
Cables have been tested OK on other modems
The modem does not “short out” or appear to have wrong settings at any point. It just disappears then magically (without any changes to location, cables etc,) re-appears
This one has me beat
Steve

Thanks for the quick response
Don’t believe there are any set up issues (certainly not same com port if fact not even sure if that is possible with an internal creating pseudo Com 3, 4 etc) and external using a physical port. Given (I believe but could well be wrong) that Com 3 emulates com1 and Com 4 emulates com 2, I made sure there was no potential conflict when I first set them up.

I may not have explained properly: It is not that the external stops working or that there is any indication of conflicts. It just plain disappears !!. When a restart finds it again, it is (usually) not that the hardware wizard finds it on startup; it just reappears with all the old com settings etc

Thanks for the quick response – exactly where can I enter brief descriptions “for each field separately”

Couldnt get it all going -( but the problem is my brain- not the suggestion! – and lack of SQL skills) but it did help me come up with an interim work around. Thank you very much for the enormous time and trouble you took in responding – it really is much appreciated

Aplogies.I don’t think I was clear enough in my explanation and , (now I think about it), missed one obvious bit. I have my sons drive working again. What I was trying to do was get the boot process working on my drive in case it ever happened again.
Are you suggesting I do the repair on my drive rather than his and if so, am I right in assuming I need to remove his from the machine first. TIA

Thanks guys – I Knew the change to Master vs Slave wouldnt work cause I tried
Is there any way to get the boot process on Drive D (equivalent to the old copy system files process in DOS 3 onwards (yes I am getting old but dont rub it in) so I can disable C, change D to a master then boot successfully

Thank you very much – that fixed it

Managed to save it – thanks for all the help.
Reinstall of Windows didnt work but what did was:
Set the drive up as a slave to a working Win2k drive and tried to get into the errant drive – as usual access denied but it suggested I could take ownership and took me to screen (havent been able to recreate this morning) that had Auditing and Ownership as 2 of its three TABS (I think I got there through trying to Share the drive)
I took ownership (and chose to take ownership of all sub directories and objects) and 5 minutes later had access to all the data. Was I just lucky or is this a major security flaw in Win2k in that I could take a drive to any working machine that I had admin rights to and get access to the files
PS a second attempt to re-install Win 2k without reformatting even after this did not work

Thank you – I thought that was the case but was a little afraid it was too easy
Thanks again