Can DDE Functionality Be Reloaded Into OS?

[blongmire]

OS: WinXP Home
Access 2000
Word 2000

I loaded 1998 vintage 16-bit business mapping software onto a PC and I
think it overlayed some OS files dealing with DDE functionality. After
that software install, my DDE functionality between Microsoft Word 2000
and Access 2000 and Excel 2000 has been affected.

Now, when I try to open a Word document that was formerly successfully
linked to an Access table, the Word document just hangs forever as the
DDE link attempts to initialize. I can still create and link new
documents to Access using ODBC, but it's not my solution of choice
because I have so many Word documents already linked to Access tables
via DDE.

Ideally, I'd like to find a way to restore DDE functionality as it was,
before that old software was installed (I've since removed the
offending software). I don't prefer to do an OS overlay/reload. I don't
even know if that would help anyway.

Is there a way to restore just the DDE functionality in the OS by
(maybe?) copying files from another XP Home machine, or editing the
registry?

Any helpful advice is much appreciated!

Thanks,

Bob