>Some UT folks here suggested building a dummy project with just the bare minimum to get the run-time components in the distribution wizard to get the engine into where it needed to be. I did that. No diff.
>Anyone out there have an idea or similar experience and how did you "fix" it? If it's the registry, then I'm hosed. But if it's something "logical" then what could that be?

That'd be my guess, the registry. You might try searching it for a vfp runtime or 2, and see what you find on related keys for pathing, etc. Perhaps it will be fairly obvious.

I had a similar problem installing SP3 on one of my 3 machines, though the uninstall/reunstall fixed it. But that was 98SE, which handles the registry a little more smartly (IMO) - plus I used Norton Registry Clean in between installs, that sometimes helps, and might even have fixed it.