Need to troubleshoot my troubleshooter

Several weeks ago, I was having wonky net connectivity, so I hit the troubleshooter which generally reset my stuff so it works. I now am told "An error occurred while troubleshooting.A problem is preventing the troubleshooter from starting". Error code: 0x80096005 ,Source:Engine ,Context: Elevated

It is ALL my troubleshooters. I am running Win7 starter on an eepc. I have been to the Asus site-can't find anything remotely helpful, I have googled, I have searched Microsoft help. Either the error is listed as something from XP or 2000 and totally unrelated to the troubleshooter, or if vaguely related, the suggested fix doesn't work. Most of advice given is to first run the windows troubleshooter :cry which is kind of hard when the troubleshooter won't open. I've done every scan I can think of. Every indication is my computer is in fine shape. I truly don't want to reload the windows image and start from scratch. Idiot that I am, I never got around to making a boot/diagnostics /repair disk. Windows came preloaded with no disks, though I do have a copy of 7 home from the main desktop...can I repair starter with that? Or can I belatedly make a repair/diagnostics disk for starter even though I suspect the problem is one corrupt or missing registry entry or setting? We have 3 machines running 7 on a network...can I somehow run the troubleshooter via one of those? Or copy the networks diagnostics folder from them to the correct place in mine, or will the settings be different? I don't know enough about the later versions of Windows to want to try this stuff without finding someone to ask, and 40 bucks to ask Microsoft is too much.

I really, really miss Windows 3.1...I could do almost anything in that. I also threw out a bunch of questions which need not be answered if they aren't germane, just me thinking out loud as it were.