(Solution)

Whoa--I Know Windows!

"Am I dead?"

"No, your system's just locked up."

Half the clues in this crossword won't run properly until they've had one letter uninstalled, while the other half require a single-letter plug-in to operate correctly. You must determine which and either remove or add the proper data to solve the clues. Clues may need to be repunctuated or respaced after corrections have been made. Answers include one two-word phrase and one hyphenated word.

ACROSS
  1. Allow mine's entrance to convey cadmium ore (5)
  2. Stopping Josh, interrupting Mr. Crosby (7)
  3. Pursued a mix of studies (7)
  4. MIT deliberately invested in avant-garde lessons (4)
  5. Trail off, "A tablet, a strip of wood . . ." (4)
  6. Date was about to yawn (6)
  7. Bum's ears itched (4)
  8. Rude threat in letter (5)
  9. Short, short amount of time since riots (4)
  10. Accent GI's message (3)
  11. Request for a part in "Reckless" (sexy vixens play the leads) (4)
  12. Rich, Guy arranged choruses (7)
  13. Son's sweet girl, Penny English, wears a particular skirt (7)
  14. Busty lady rode all over the place (4)
  15. The one before thee also spake (3)
  16. Sting, with another hit, finally follows up "Desert" (4)
  17. They make water pourer put it in two cups (5)
  18. Mars bars, after debut, captivating European chef (4)
  19. He rang Willy Hook up again (6)
  20. Her snack: a few bits (4)
  21. Spot entertaining little cloud (4)
  22. Slow-speaking man takes Barnum's place in abandoned home overseas (7)
  23. Returning posse going through shy suspect's herbs (7)
  24. Company that deals with laws in North Oregon (5)
DOWN
  1. Inventor John's ear in someone's mouth (5)
  2. Following church service, I have sat out (7)
  3. Slides around and runs in place (5)
  4. Can roam (4)
  5. I'd look at topless Parisian, though (4)
  6. Notably, flus causing French to be in bed (7)
  7. Gets close to infiltrating German arsenal (5)
  8. Sways, dropping umber drinks (5)
  9. Lear's public exhibition (4)
  10. To sled, I need a piece from Virgil (6)
  11. Before/after photograph vender is in this spot (4)
  12. Redesign of Lycos will be expensive (6)
  13. Past lake and mountains are some nuns? (7)
  14. Saracen utterly enthralls King of England (4)
  15. Drunken tosser is most unpleasant (7)
  16. Makers of Tempe's bridges cheat Arizona (5)
  17. Taking the trip from faith to decay (4)
  18. Spar with Dewey on the rocks (5)
  19. Middle East country is kind of pleasant, I hear (5)
  20. For crying out loud -- see ya back before the hour (5)
  21. A fan of some "Tiny Toons" characters (4)
  22. They stop attacks in MBA building (4)


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