SP3RES.DLL (Unable to uninstall programs)

Gateway Solo 9500 laptop
Windows 2000 / SP4 Build 2195 (up-to-date on all available hotfixes)
128MB RAM
Running McAfee Home, v7; McAfee Firewall

Problem:

Unable to uninstall any programs using Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel; unable to even access Add/Remove Programs. The following error is given:

"An Unexpected Error Has Occurred"
Object doesn't support this property or method:
res://sp3res.dll/default.hta
Line 82

Ad-aware has been run
SpyBot has been run
Full virus scans have been run
Nothing has been found with these programs

No other problems are evident.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

This seems to a service pack 3 message (post sp2).

File Name: Sp3res.dll
File Size: 155.136
File Version: 5.00.2195.6157
File Company: Microsoft Corporation
File Description: Service Pack 3 Messages

Did you recently install a hotfix or update of some sort?

 

This laptop is assigned to a user at my company. Updates to Windows are set to do so automatically and the user isn't aware of when the last update was made. Re-checking, the system is listed as being at SP4.

 

As far as Microsoft is concerned they just want you to re-install SP4. That's about all I can find on it. good luck...