System inoperable after latest Windows update

I just installed the latest Windows update on my Windows 2000 (Build 2195: Service Pack 4) System, and now pretty much nothing works. Every application I attempt to launch crashes, including Explorer, leaving me with an empty desktop which I can do nothing with. About all I can do is boot in safe mode with a command prompt.

Short of reinstalling the operating system (big headache!) is there anything I can do? Perhaps just rolling back this latest Windows update. Everything was working fine before!

 

And how do I do that on a machine that I cannot even run Explorer on? I only have access to a command prompt from safe mode.

 

Thanks, but could you tell me how to do this from a command prompt. I have no taskbar, no start menu, nothing but a command prompt. And I doubt Control Panel will work, since it is based on Explorer, which is not working, even in Safe Mode.

Perhaps there are command line programs I can use to do this?

 

At the command prompt type explorer.exe and you may get the taskbar.

 

Like I said, explorer crashed when I try to bring it up from the command line in safe mode. Pretty much every graphical program does the same. Some system dll somewhere must have gotten corrupted. No good. At any rate, I think I'll upgrade to XP at this point.

 

Agree.