Got everything working (!). Convinced the DBA that an update SP was in order and then started routing everything over to that with a Command object rather than a mass individual UpdateBatch on a recordset and, rather than SPT which had to be replaced.
Whew.
Thanks for the advice John. It really helped was put to good use.
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John Koziol, ex-MVP, ex-MS, ex-FoxTeam. Just call me "X"
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro" - Hunter Thompson (Gonzo) RIP 2/19/05