sadly, games often do very "creative" things, both because of a need for
speed, and i suspect a certain amount of sloppy programming, after all
these are not critical applications (despite what many pc owners think,
it's not like a payroll or tax program for instance where problems
really, really count).

it would not surprise me at all if one or more of the games was at least
partially responsible.  not that it's ever easy to maintain a machine
used by multiple people with many, many different pieces of software on
it, especially using a redmond os (mac's aren't perfect, but they do
fight with you a lot less, to an alarming degree initially if you've
gotten use to windows, then again i preferred unix system IV over
windows a long time ago).

honestly, it could easily be any one or more pieces of software in
itself or because it hasn't been patched to accommodate the latest os
patch.  sadly patches do often require patches in other programs.

Richard.Prosser@POWERWARE.COM wrote:
>
> Maybe someone following this thread could help clarify something for me.
> I have a reasonably modern PC running XP home version. I have dillegently
> carried out all the upgrades suggested by Microsoft (except have had to
> undo a couple of driver updates  that crashed my video card). and I have
> installed service pack 1
>
> I have noticed a progressive deterioration in the capabilities of XP to
> install new software. In many cases the installer software does not appear
> to do anything (and certainly does not install anything). I think that
> somewhere along the line a critical dll or "something" has been overwritten
> either by a successful program  install or by an "Upgrade". Most of the
> time this is just games (for the kids of course) but Eagle, for example is
> won't install either.
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