Start Menu MRU changes not saving

I've got a very strange problem with a laptop running XP Pro with SP2. First
thing that bugs me is the 'Start' menu is *always* popped up when I boot it
up, just as if I've already clicked on the 'Start' button. That I've been
living with, but the problem that brings me here is my inability to have any
customizations to the 'MRU' (left hand) side of the menu survive a shutdown.

I can uncheck the standard 'Show on Start menu' Internet and E-mail options,
I can then 'pin' to the start menu newly run programs and see all of the
'normal' behaviour I expect from the menu - while I'm logged on. My MRU
list gets updated and all is fine until I shutdown and restart, at which
point - when the darn menu pops up again - my LHS of the menu is back to
some sort of default config:

Pinned: Internet Explorer and Outlook Express
MRU: Windows Media Player, Tour Windows XP, Windows Movie Maker, File and
Settings Transfer Wizard

Every time I turn it on, this is where I start from. Can anyone tell me
what in the heck is going on? A couple of more points - I am logging on as
the Administrator and this isn't a new behaviour that's just started, the
laptop has always exhibited this behaviour. Thanks.

-craig


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