Ok.
This is a Gateway 7422 with Athlon 64 3400+
Windows xp Home Editions w/svc pk2
At startup, before any applications are loaded but after booting, I get a
prompt stating that DEP is forcing explorer to close. As i am unable to get
online at the time of the error, I can not submit an error report. After
closing the initial window and the subsequent request to send the report,
Explorer seems to open up again after a CONSIDERABLE delay.
I've explored many avenues of thought in trying to pinpoint the cause, and
here are some of the things i have tried:
---scanned with Avast, AVG, AntiVir, Ewido (premium), Spybot S&D, 3
different Rootkit eliminators, including "Windows-KB890830-V1.11-ENU.exe"
---I have used SysInternals AutoRuns to disable the majority of software
that i thought might be even remotely related.

I use Spywareblaster, and run Ad-aware frequently, and i always clean with
Ccleaner and WindowWasher.

I simply can not find any mal-ware on this computer, and i DO NOT want to
simply disable DEP - as that seems like a cop out and i trust that DEP serves
a very valuable purpose...
Anyone have any more suggestions, advice or experience to help a desperate
girl out? There seem to be some performance iussues as a consequence of this
error, and if there is no connection between the error and the performance,
the timing is coincidental at least.
Please and thank you,
Merry Merry.