@
vertigoelectric,
Please let me be clear. Almost all my comments about reboots are not related to you in particular. You wouldn't believe how many times users come here asking for "urgent help", and they actually skipped the needed reboot (which in fact turns to solve their "urgent" problem).
With so many procedures as in your system, it is very common to see users not being patient enough to reboot when they should, even when they are instructed to. When I request to reboot, is because I expect from the user to reboot and I'd rather avoid the assumption that the user will do that "by itself".
Since we are in a forum with many different types of users, more skilled or not so much, and with different levels of English language domain, I have the tendency of writing the reboot request when it is supposed to be done, most specially when troubleshooting. Some users might misunderstand being specific and writing specific steps one by one as if I (as an example) would have some kind of "attitude", or condescending.
I can only tell you that this is a misunderstanding from their part. I'd rather write more and be specific, than to assume that other forum member already "knows everything". All is done with help in mind, and only that.
If I had the impression that you skipped some reboots, it is only because you said so, together with the comment about being tired of so many reboots.
Several comments from you that are related to reboots and/or running the appropriate tools from Safe mode:
Okay, I uninstalled AVG normally (although it wasn't very normal, since the uninstaller wouldn't stop the AVG watchdog service and I had to look up special instructions on how to stop it so that I could uninstall). I [only] then rebooted in safe mode ...
I restored all of the default system fonts from the Windows XP disc. I haven't rebooted yet...
If I got the wrong impression, I apologize. In any case, as I said, almost all my comments are NOT based on impressions, but on actual technical recommendations and experience in computer-related forums.
So, please let's concentrate on the technical matters so we can solve your problem.
(BTW, replacing "
system" fonts needs to be done from an independent OS / boot. There are workarounds to correctly do it directly under Windows).