XP glitch is trouble to fix

Q. Every time I go on the Internet using Windows XP on my Gateway, I use it for a little while, then I get the message, "Sorry, we have encountered a problem and we will have to close."
So it shuts me down. I back into the Internet, and I can operate fine, but I must do this every time I start the computer. It then tells me that the problem is a file called appcompat.txt.
I could really use your help. I am becoming very frustrated by a problem I am unable to solve.
A. Sometimes this can be a can of worms that is much more trouble to fix than to endure, I fear, but there is one repair that often solves this irritating fluke in the Windows XP applications compatibility log (appcompat.txt).
This is the part of Windows that includes those offers to inform Microsoft electronically of the problem that has just occurred by clicking an approval button. Among the stuff sent is that appcompat.txt file, which is a record of what was running when the glitch set in.
This feature is prone to lots of glitches, and people encounter your quandary when running all sorts of programs, the Web browser included. As your experience indicates, the problem is that this file gets messed up, and it tells the computer to shut down the program -- or the whole computer -- and send an "administrative alert" to Microsoft.
Shutting off this feature often fixes the problem, so here is the drill:
Find the My Computer icon on the desktop or Start menu. Give it a right-click, then pick Properties and then Advanced. There, you will see the check boxes to toggle sending those messages.
I'm betting that removing the check will stop the annoyance.
Q. I read your column religiously, but this morning's column had reference to running the Command Prompt by going Start/Programs/Accessories and then Command Prompt. I don't have one there. I am running Windows XP. I have another computer, one that has a more recent installation because I upgraded from ME to Windows XP. That one has it. How did I lose it on this computer and how do I get it back? Thanks in advance for your help.
A. Let's start with the lazy hacker's solution to this problem, and then I'll work up the energy to explain how to fix things as they should be in the XP Accessories display.
Click on Start and pick Run instead of hunting for the Command Prompt icon. In Run, type command and hit the Enter key, and you'll get an open DOS-type window.
You can also type cmd in the Run window to get another version of the outmoded DOS operating system. This is harder to remember but easier than clicking on the two extra Start folders required to call up the Command Prompt.
Windows XP's Command Prompt emulates the older DOS operating system commands. They amount to a language of text commands that can order the same moves one makes with a mouse.
If you want to restore the actual icon for the Command Prompt, you'll need to set your computer so it can see system files and then go to the actual program and make a shortcut for it, which is more difficult than just typing cmd in the Run line. Start by clicking on Start and Control Panel; then open Folder Options and click the View tab to find the Show Hidden command.
Now click on Start and Search. Type cmd.exe as a search term.
When the Command Prompt icon appears in the Search display, right-click on the word cmd.exe and choose to make a shortcut. One will be placed on the desktop.
Finally, right-click on Start and pick Explore. You will see a folder for Programs. Open it, and you will find Accessories. Drag the cmd.exe shortcut from the desktop into that folder to return things to the out-of-the-box condition.
I'd just use Run from now on and save myself the trouble.
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