Acrobat Reader fails to start and then fails to (re)install after removal

Running Windows 7 Pro SP1 and Adobe Acrobat Reader failed to open with an error a file missing so

I followed on line advice from this site, removed, downloaded and installed it and that install failed as it claims a more recent version etc.

So downloaded and ran the cleaner and then downloaded and attempted install again – failed (more recent version) so

I read all I could find and it suggested that (a) Windows updates may be missing so I ran update and now Windows update also fails. (I cleared the old updates, tried one by oneetc 

So I ran a complete system clean and tried again both W7 update and Acrobat Reader failed again.

None of the MS advice worked even getting down to CMD level as the update error is unknown (and still there) so

I tried another PDF reader which being much simpler DL and installed and works fine so I tried to associate that with .PDF extension to find that the PDF is no longer in the Windows list to be associated!! Down under the hood again into the Registry

A fun few days over Xmas!

Does anyone have any idea short of a complete image recovery which takes me back to I know not where?