Applications Launch After Long Delay

[Guest]

This is a brand new Dell Dimension 9100 running XP Home. This problem has
been occurring from the get-go. It is intermittent. When you double-click an
application icon to launch it, the hourglass appears for a few seconds, and
then nothing. Try again, same or different application, same thing happens.
When I open Task Manager (takes a minute or two to open), the processes for
the applications I've tried to launch are running (including duplicates for
repeated attempts), but nothing shows under the Applications tab. After 5-10
minutes, all the applications I've tried to launch finally launch all at once.

Sometimes it seems like this is related to AOL. Most of the client's work on
the machine is done in AOL. The problem seems to occur after exiting AOL.

The following steps have been taken: Running Dell Hardware Diagnosis,
Windows System File Check, stopping non-essential start-up processes in
msconfig under instructions from Dell, running Symantec Anti-Virus, Norton
One-Button Check-Up and Disk Doctor, checking the Events log in Computer
Management, calling Dell, calling AOL, repairing AOL (which is 9.0 Optimized
(? I think it's called; was factory installed by Dell. Not the Security
version). All results negative for problems/did not solve the problem.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

[Guest]

"This is a brand new Dell Dimension 9100 running XP Home."
Did you go to "Windows Update" and install all Updates to your New System?
If NOT, do so. Windows Update is Possibly running every 5 minutes to update
your system, if it is set to "Automatic Update". This understandably uses
resources.

 

[Guest]

I observed the problem again today. I don't think Windows Update was going on
at the time. I didn't see any evidence (process running, icon in tray).
Thanks.

 

[Plato]

This is a brand new Dell Dimension 9100 running XP Home. This problem has
been occurring from the get-go. It is intermittent. When you double-click an
application icon to launch it, the hourglass appears for a few seconds, and
then nothing. Try again, same or different application, same thing happens.

Return it. Cancel the charge in the meantime.