A solution to a persistent Adobe Bridge CS3 problem (Windows)

A few days ago I posted on an online forum about a persistent problem I've been having with Bridge CS3.  The problem arises when I open Bridge and navigate to a folder, in that Bridge doesn't show any thumbnails but will just show a blank grey right-hand pane. Just a few hours later, one of the most knowledgeable photographers on the forum, Brian Tao, came up with several possible causes and solutions.   Since I believe that the problem is quite prevalent, and the solution not obvious at all, I thought that it would be  Read more inside...