Windows Vista COM Surrogate stops working

I have Windows Vista Business (32bit). The problem arises when I am in one place - Windows Mail for example, and I try to insert a file ( to send an image with the message). I select Pictures, and then the folder, But as soon as I select the actual image I want, the screen whites-out, I get the message that COM Surrogate has stopped working , Windows will search for an answer to the problem, and then the whole system shuts back to desktop.
If I am in a Browser (IE7) and in say the RPS Digit Photo group site, and trying to upload an image, the same thing - back to desktop. But when I try to do the same thing exactly , but using the latest Safari browser , it shuts back but not quite so far - leaving me back in the opening browser window.
Another try , to upload an image to a website ( Photobucket) works OK. They are both jpg images I am trying to select- and it doesn't seem to be file size, since the Photobucket images I upload are much larger than the ones I would send by e-mail or to the RPS site.
The system used to work - some months ago ( this is on my lap-top which I use for these purposes only when away from home) - so presumably some update installed over the last 4 months is causing the problem ? But what to do ? Any suggestions ?

 

The solution to the problem

I'm told by the machine maker ( its a Sony Vaio) that the COM Surrogate thing is an error in the OS and I will have to re-instal, but the version of Vista I have has a built in system for this which simplifies things.

 

Solved.

Reinstalling - after making back-up of both data and of the recovery system - all done with on-board systems in the Vaio , led to a complete cure of the problem.