[Filip Norrgard]

Have you tried running System File Checker using an elevated command prompt?
This is the command to run:

sfc /scannow

[Filip Norrgard]

Have you tried running System File Checker using an elevated command prompt?
This is the command to run:

sfc /scannow

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by Filip Norrgard

Have you tried running System File Checker using an elevated command prompt?

Good idea - I hadn't thought of that...running it now.

UPDATE: "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations."

[Jason Dunn]

So interestingly enough, this week was "patch Tuesday" and my troublesome machine got and applied all the updates. No problems noted...it looks like it's *just* Windows Defender that's screwed up. Makes me think that its database is corrupted somehow. I can't explain how/why the sidebar is all black though...

[Filip Norrgard]

Well, I'm stumped as to why it went black. (Well, probably not because black is back )

The last solution is I could find is the solution that worked for me when the dial-up portion became corrupt in Vista. That solution is to reinstall Vista: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88...all-vista.html

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by Filip Norrgard

That solution is to reinstall Vista...

Ah yes, that ol' "fix". I'm just going to limp along until Windows 7 comes out - then it would all get re-formated anyway. It's not like my system is doing anything strange other than this, so it's not a big deal...I just don't like having anything "broken" on my systems.