Recent Security Updates Hose Windows 2000?

Microsoft ^ | 2010-02 | Microsoft

[Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo]

I just sat down at an old workhorse of a Windows 2000 computer that we've had here - it's actually a very nice rig, which used to be just super stable - and it looks like Microsoft must have issued some security updates which have completely hosed much of the functionality of the user desktop.
 
Some examples: IE6 is hanging badly on what looks to be a change to the Javascript engine - and while this new bug will bring the system to its knees [and even cause the motherboard's CPU heater signal to start beeping], you can't really see the excess CPU cycles in Task Manager, which suggests to me that the problem is deep, DEEP inside of Windows 2000 [deeper even than Task Manager is able to see].
 
And we've completely lost the functionality of the "Print Screen" key - if we try to print screen shots and paste them into Paint or Photoshop, then all we get is black images.
 
Ugh.
 
Windows 2000 has been such a workhorse platform for us over the years - it's a real shame that Microsoft is no longer devoting the $$$s to regression testing their W2K patches.
 
And I was forced to download Firefox 3.6 to get some web functionality restored [did you hear that Steve Ballmer?!? Firefox?!?].

[UCANSEE2]

I have tried Safe Mode, Normal mode, Last Good configuration, and every other thing on the menu.

I have pulled the battery out, the memory card and put them back in.

Nothing works. It keeps going back to the same screen with the options for Safe Mode, Normal Mode, etc.

I researched this and the only option is to use the XP PRO recovery disk.

I don’t have one. When I get one, I may be able to get it back up.

In the meantime, I am using my ex-wife’s old Compaq. Considering how old it is, it is doing the job well.

It just doesn’t have the horsepower the IBM did.