Fatal error after RE-installing Python 2.3.4

[Cappy2112]

I've just started a job which has a massive python2.3.4-centric tools
installation and configuration.

I know what you're going to say, but I can't upgrade and be the only
one with a newer version. There are close to 30 engineers using this
same tools configuration, and it has been working fine for a long time.
For now, we all have to live with the limitations and or bugs in 2.3.4.

I'm running Windows XP, SP2, on a AMD 1.79Ghz MP 2200+.

After editing/testing one of the python test scripts, I was about to
check a small script change into cvs, when my mentor suggested running
pychecker. When I did this, I saw a several pages full of warnings.

For me not knowing the code base well enough to know what to expect, He
thought this was odd, took the file, ran pychecker on his system, with
the file I've edited, and only sees 4-5 warnings.

We have the same version of Python, that being 2.3.4, the same version
of pychecker which is 0.8.14.

I had deleted and re-installed pychecker, and still saw the same
warnings.
I have compared this to another machine, and again, I am the odd man
out.

I've deleted all the Python packages, pythonwin, and The core 2.3.4
distribution, and re-installed everything from scratch.

Now, When I launch Python from a cmd console, the following is reported

C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe- python
The NTVDM CPU has encountered an illegal instruction.
Chose close to terminate the application.


Oddly enough, when I run Python.exe from the Program Files menu, it
launches just fine.


The virus scanner doesn't find any known viruses, and I've also
disabled the virus checker after un-installing-reinstalling Python the
last time.
I've also tried downloading another copy of the installer.

Does anyone have any ideas what is causing this and how to fix it? My
job depends on me getting Python2.3.4 back to working order.



thanks