KDE 3 in Lenny has gone bonkers

Hello, all. This is a KDE problem, not a Trinity one, but I know of nowhere else that would give me a sympathetic hearing. ("KDE 3 is dead already. Scrap KDE 3 and go to KDE 4.") Bonkers is the best description I can come up with. Applications that were working fine are suddenly not. (In particular Konqueror, but not only Konqeror.) Settings change randomly. The latest, a few minutes ago, was my desktop settings, which have disappeared and the same random KDE one "set up" for all the desktops (4 - and until just now they all had different backgrounds). When I went to check what "configure desktop" showed, I found that my screensaver had been turned off. The most benign reason I can come up with is that the CMOS battery needs changing. Something is obviously on the way out. Motherboard also springs to mind. :-( It could, of course, be software related. I just can't think what! All other ideas and suggestions for solving this gratefully received. If the advice is bin the thing it will only echo my fears. I built this box about 8 years ago, so something crucial dying is not impossible. It would happen now. :-( I am in the middle of something that is important to me, and has a deadline of Monday, which I am not going to meet. I have had to give up driving because my eyesight has deteriorated, I live in the country and my husband (i.e. my transport) is away for the next 2 weeks. My, the gremlins are having fun. ;-( Lisi