Long Pause Launching Applications (Especially Internet Explorer)

[Guest]

I'm having a very strange problem. I start laptop. Run outlook express. Dial Up. Mail Refreshes. All seems fine.

I then run Internet Explorer (or select an html link within an email message) and the hourglass comes up as if it's starting to load Internet Explorer and then the hourglass dissappears and nothing happens for about 3-4 minutes. THe disk does something every now and again but not much.

If I then try and run any opther application they won't work. Not even the Task Manager.

Once Internetl Explorer finally works everything else I tried to run in the meantime will suddenly run.

I've checked internet setting and they are set to share Outlook Express connection and so on. I'm perplexed and it is very very frustrating. Typically it only happens once per session, i.e. until I next turn off the computer it will not happen again.

Any ideas out their. I'd really like to not have to rebuild my PC but am happy to try reloading any software / drivers.

Help!!!

Regards

Martin

 

[Malke]

I'm having a very strange problem. I start laptop. Run outlook
express. Dial Up. Mail Refreshes. All seems fine.

I then run Internet Explorer (or select an html link within an email
message) and the hourglass comes up as if it's starting to load
Internet Explorer and then the hourglass dissappears and nothing
happens for about 3-4 minutes. THe disk does something every now and
again but not much.

If I then try and run any opther application they won't work. Not
even the Task Manager.

Once Internetl Explorer finally works everything else I tried to run
in the meantime will suddenly run.

I've checked internet setting and they are set to share Outlook
Express connection and so on. I'm perplexed and it is very very
frustrating. Typically it only happens once per session, i.e. until I
next turn off the computer it will not happen again.

What does a scan with a current antivirus program (meaning a version not
earlier than 2002 and using updated virus definitions) show? Also,
remove spyware with Spybot Search & Destroy from
www.safer-networking.org and Ad-aware from www.lavasoftusa.com. Be sure
to update these programs before running them. These programs are free,
so run them both since they complement each other. It is best to run
antivirus and spyware removal tools in Safe Mode. You may also need to
run CWShredder and HijackThis from

http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/index.html

Please read the instructions carefully. Also, make sure you've visited
Windows Update and applied all security patches. Do not install driver
updates from Windows Update. Make sure you are running a firewall.

Malke