A whole bunch of stuff you can do. Run through all of the following and get back to us:
1. Get AdAware (from Lavasoft) and Spybot. Install both, update them both, then run them both three times. Full scan on the first scan, and then Smart Scan thereafter with the AdAware.
2. Go to Start - Run - (then type in this
%temp%. Delete everything here except the latest file; Windows won't let you remove it anyway.
3. Go to Windows - Temp and delete everything here except the latest file.
3a. Also, go to Windows - Prefetch and delete everything here.
3b. Go to Control Panel - Add/Remove Programs and get rid of the stuff you don't use anymore.
4. Get Diskeeper ($20) and defrag your machine. If the $20 is a problem you can use the DeFrag native to XP (it's Diskeeper Lite), but it doesn't do as good a job.
5. "BUY" a good Registry clean-up app (the free ones are not as aggressive in compacting). I think REGISTRY FIX is the best; and make sure you register the program within itself, otherwise you won't get the full scan. Run the scan twice to get out all the thousands of pieces of crap that have accumulated over the last three years.
6. Right click your "C" drive; go to Properties - Tools - Error Checking. Check off both Disk Options and then "Start". XP now wants to boot to run this program. Let it! Go have your favorite beverage while it works. It might take up to an hour.
The programs I suggested to buy you will use the rest of your computer life to keep your Windows XP clean and tight. They are worth it.
Good luck!!!!!