Windows XP - Cant open applications? Window elements missing?

I've been using XP for years, usually doing 10 things at once, and therefore having plenty of windows open. Eventually I'll open an explorer window and it will look malformed, or I'll run an application and it will start acting very strange.

The solution I've had to employ is to close down some of the lesser-needed windows and then try again, usually with success. It's as if there's a memory leak, but there's no sign of any lack of free memory.

This mystery plagued me for so long until I eventually found the cause and a fix.. An internal memory heap needed to be expanded to accommodate all these windows!

It involves a registry tweak and a reboot, but microsoft have provided a foolproof fix to run, which I used and it's finally removed the only problem I've had with XP. Wish I had found it years ago.. argh!

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/126962 (Scroll down and click on "Fix It")

Install, reboot, open all the windows you want without fear of hitting any hidden limits. (well, eventually maybe!)