I can't play any of the simple games (solitaire, minesweeper, etc.) on my computer anymore. They worked for years but now I can't even delete them and reinstall them. I get the same error message as when I try to play them: "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\AUTOEXEC.NT. The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications." A few weeks ago my mother's computer started doing the same thing. It's not a compatibility issue either because I've tried changing compatibility modes with no luck. Thanks for any help!

I believe it means one of the following files is either missing or corrupt: Autoexec.nt Config.nt Command.com

Okay, and do you know what course of action I need to take to correct it?

Well, what I would do is get the install disk. Find the files on this disk and copy those over your current files. REMEMBER, BACKUP YOUR CURRENT FILES FIRST, THOUGH. An easy way of searching is via command prompt. Start->run->enter in "cmd", hit ok. Here type cd\, then dir filename* /s - replacing filename with the actual file name.

What I would do is go to Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs. Then along the left side of that screen, click Add/Remove Windows Components...double click Accessories & Utilities, then uncheck GAMES...click OK, then NEXT... After it's finished, reboot, then go back & do the exact same thing, but this time put a check next to GAMES again & the games will be reinstalled. Make sure to have the XP disc handy..... Asus A7N8X-X 1800+ @8x210mhz 512mb PC3200 Ti4200/8X 128mb WDC 60GB

This is just a followup to anyone who cares or may have the same problem. It was a simple solution and I should have thought of it before I posted. The file that I mentioned in my original post was missing. So I simply copied it from another computer in which games played correctly and placed it in the correct folder. After I did that everything worked fine again. Thanks to those offering suggestions.