Corrupted XP Registry?

[rlohmann]

When I hit the "Start" button to reboot my machine yesterday--ironically, my intention was to reboot with Linux--XP presented me with only one option: Log off. No "shut down, restart, standby" choices.

I brought up the Task Manager, but the "Shut down" menu item offers only the "switch user" option. The others are grayed out.

Also, it occurs to me, the "hibernate" function, although enabled and formerly functional, hasn't worked for several weeks.

I am probably dealing with a corrupted registry here, but I'm not sure what to do about it.

Any assistance might well result in expungement of one or more demerits.