access 2000 "too many active users"

Help! Basic Access 2000 user here!

Have been using Access 2000 from time to time over the years and recently
installed Access 2000 (official original purchased CD, not a bootleg!) on a
new computer running XP SP2.

When opening an existing database or opening a new blank database, I get the
error "too many active users" and keeps me from using Access.

I've searched my computer for any ldb files and found one which was System
in the Office folder. I've deleted this file and rebooted but it reappears
each time I launch Access. I've searched items in the forums that relate to
"too many active users" but they do not apply to new database files.

The computer is not connected to a network or server and not part of any
workgroup. My copy of Access 2000 is a retail version registered to only me
and not a workgroup. The few databases I have on the computer were never
associated with a workgroup (used for personal use) and I have removed them
but I get the same error. After launching Access and trying to create a new
database, I get the same error message. Is there any setting in Access that
can be changed before opening a new or existing database? Is there any
setting in XP-SP2 that could be causing this?

Can anyone help me solve this? (I've already uninstalled and reinstalled
several times.)

Thanks in advance!