Regarding the problem of GDB files getting included in System
Restore, has anyone tries the following easy fix? I am yet to fire
up XP so I can't test this myself.

open:

\WINDOWS\system32\Restore\filelist.xml

delete line:

<REC>GDB</REC>

If MS's knowledgebase is correct, this would remove GDB files from
system restore involvement.

One problem in this solution might be that FILELIST.XML itself
is 'system restored' and so the changes are lost on next boot??
Anyway, if anyone has experience with trying this fix, can you let me
know.

Regards,
Andrew Ferguson
-- Sure, but how do you *know* it's an endless loop?