Adobe error message upon startup: Error loading C:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\Adobe\Update\reswnd.dat

Try uninstalled Adobe Reader then re-install the latest from version their website

This may be malware.  APIAT.DAT has also been found as RESWND.DAT, both are associated with bogus security software.  Since Adobe products are the target of so many malware authors, I remcommend using Spybot Search and Destroy or Malwarebytes to detect and clean the problem.  Be sure to run them from safemode.

what adobe programs do you have? This might involve an uninstall/reinstall. Or just stop Adobe updater from starting up. (generally can be done within the adobe program, help tool bar) or you can go to msconfig and uncheck the updater program from starting up.

There is Adobe Acrobat Professional 8.1 as well as Adobe Flash 10activeX.  I did have problems with malware on this computer previously and have run Malwarebytes, Superantispyware, as well as Symantec.  We automatically disable Adobe Updates on the computers we set up, so that can't be it.  I have tried running a repair as well.  

Viruses were not the issue.  I had to reformat the computer.