IE6 Opens Slow/Runs Fine. New windows won't open.

[ShannonEM]

Hello,
I'm having the strangest problem:
All of a sudden, IE6 launches EXTRAORDINARILY slowly after
double-clicking the icon. Once it's up-and-running, though, all is
speedy and fine. However, opening new windows (Ctrl+N) is also
painfully slow. New windows don't open AT ALL from links (and trying to
do so results in a significant amount of wait time). I've searched darn
near all the postings here, and nothing.

Here's the history:
I've had my computer back about 3 hours after [professional] repair
from a harddrive failure and replacement. Windows XPHE was reinstalled
[again, professionally]. Since I've had the computer back, I've only
done the following since XP reinstallation: Installed Norton,
Spysweeper, Office 2000 Pro, Java 5.0 Update 6 and Windows Explorer SP2
Update. I downloaded any and all Windows, Explorer, Norton and
Spysweeper updates, and I copied my documents back onto the hard drive.


Since the people who reinstalled Windows misspelled the name of the
person to whom XP was registered (me), I ran regedit and changed the
name of the registered owner (me) to the correct name/spelling. I know
I performed this correctly, exactly by the book. However, thinking that
this might have been the cause of my current problem, I've since
changed the name of the registered owner BACK to the misspelled
version. No luck.

Neither Norton nor Spysweeper detect any problems (nor should
they...they were the first programs installed on a clean system).

Any thoughts are very, very welcome.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE]

You may have a malware infection.

So How Did I Get Infected Anyway?
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=27971

Help with Hijackware
All MS - MVP Sites.
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm
(http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm)
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware
(http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm)
(http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/darnit.html)
(http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm)

Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827315

 

[ShannonEM]

Found the solution!
Per someone else's suggestion elsewhere on this group, I unchecked the
"Enable 3rd party browser extensions" box and everything's back in
working order! Woo hoo!