Corrupt history file causing major problems

A couple days ago IE started causing major problems. Any attmpt to launch
it generates an error in wininet.dll. Opening a Word document causes
explorer to do the same (though Word seems to be functioning normally).
This happened in the space of just a few minutes. I logged off, my wife
tried to go online maybe half an hour later and was locked out. The next
day everything was fine and we had no problems at all.

So, to make a long story short, after considerable wrestling with this, I
think I have tracked the problem down to a corrupted history file.
Attempts to clear the history cache from IE (which I can open offline)
generate errors either in wininet.dll or kernel32.dll. Attempts to open
the C:\Windows\System\Verlauf (it's a German system, but that is the
equivalent of History, with the little sundial icon and all) generate
similar errors and close explorer.

It certainly looks like the problem is there. How do I get at this folder
to clean it out when any attempt to do so crashes me out? Any help at all
will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance
David Levinson