Fatal Exception Error with WMP and Control Panel on open

Here we go...

Windows Media Player will actually open up and sit there all nice and pretty, but the second you try to play ANY media using it, the blue screen hits with "Fatal Exception 0E Error at 0028:00000009". Of course the program terminates. When I "ENTER" to return to the program, (that's no longer there), the desktop wallpaper is gone and the link suggesting that you click on it to restore your desktop setting works. Wallpaper comes back.

The same blue screen comes up as well when I ATTEMPT to open the Control Panel. It also returns "Fatal Exception 0E at 0028:00000009".

This all seemed to start after I installed IE6.0 on this computer as a result of Microsoft's Critical Update page. I figured, well... it works on XP just fine, and they wouldn't suggest it if it wouldn't work.... right?

I found out about the Control Panel issue after I tried to open it to Add/Remove IE6. So... at this point, I cannot Add/Remove or adjust ANYTHING through Control Panel.

And yes... I DID try to go into the Control Panel using Safe Mode. Same result EXCEPT... different code this time: 0E Occurred at 0028:C1C4959C in VXD DSOUND(03) + 00000BBC.

So... there ya have it.

Any ideas out there?

P.S. An attempt to reinstall Windows over itself did absolutely nothing. There were ZERO viruses and/or worms found on the hard drive.

Thanks a MILLION to whoever can offer some assistance with this boggle.

Sincerely,

B K Andrews
bktech@cfl.rr.com