system
23
Seand,
You are most welcome. You have been most gracious, yourself! 
As Vlk pointed out, my tinkerings really didn’t affect any vital settings on my computer. (I had to re-read his clarifications and believe it or not, I understood them. ;D)
So, my quest continues on what could have caused my problem, will it happen again, and what can I do to prevent it. Methinks, I need guidance on what my Avast settings (home version) need to be set on for my OS (Win98SE) to perform at its optimum.
Suggestions are most welcome!
Have a great day. 
LeLe