I don't think you need to restart SQL, but I'm not sure how much benefit you get here. Unlike regular database files, you can't really control where tempdb objects are...

There is no way to do this across all fields without explicitly testing them. It's a pain to build, but if it's needed, you write it once and it's used...

I could see a snapshot on msdb for history purposes or even testing since it's got scheduling/history data.

This isn't a place for people to do work for you. Show some effort, try to figure out what you need and then ask questions. We'll try to help, but...

You don't want to encrypt data with a certificate or asymmetric key. Use a symmetric key to encrypt the data and encrypt the symmetric key with an asymmetric key.

yes

There are scripts in the script library here as well that might help. Search blocker or root blocker.

I'd check and be sure that your statistics and indexes are up to date. Rebuilding indexes will update statistics as well, so I'd do that.

Can you narrow down where the...

What do you mean? SS2K only has precision to 0, 3, or 7 ms as the final digit. You could build a UDF to round those to what you need,...

You could get a log reader and read through it. Log Rescue from Red Gate works on SS2K and it's free.

What are you trying to do? You can create a temp table and assign the output of the proc to it.

Can you not perform the join in the proc?

anything in the error log? Perhaps run a trace overnight to look for things?

HAVING is probably what you want, but please post some examples and let us know if that works or doesn't.

Why not use BCP or SSIS? The wizard makes this easy and it would be smoother than VBS.

you can create a role in msdb in 2000 and I'd recommend that.

Be sure to include it in your DR planning as this would be needed in a rebuild.