Turned out that it was a Windows update that screwed me over - SURPRISE!! Anyway, without pulling out any more hair, I simply rolled back my system restore point to the beginning of the month because I knew I did not have this problem then! Miraculously, it fixed the issue. Of course, I am delighted! After all, who the hell has hours in a day looking for a needle in a haystack, after all existing possible solutions have been thrashed over?
Thanks to everyone who chipped in. I have it fixed!!!! But, in an unorthodox way.