Windows File-Explorer Working Slowly

[OlldGranny]

Hi to all!
I've had several problems with my Windows Explorer. The opening or saving a file through several software is not working fast or sometimes not at all. Also the opening of big files (over 200mb) especially .exe files from the explorer freezes the whole explorer. For example: I want to download a file in Firefox from a web page. I click on the file ( coolfile.txt ) with my right mouse button and select "Save as..." then I choose the saving location, which takes a long time just to wonder around in my directories. I've found the place where to save the coolfile.txt. I click on "Save". After releasing the mouse button whole Firefox freezes.

I am in a big need of help! If you know something about this please tell me!

Windows XP Home: SP2
Firefox 2.0.0.6

[Richard_Rahl]

Oh I get it. This is clearly a case of a registry and some folders for temporary files that have to be cleaned. I recommend to use CCleaner first (clickylinky). First, use the "registry" option of that program to clear windows' registry. Then click the clean button for the temporary files. Last but not least, defragment your system regularly, at least once in two months. I recommend you to use Auslogics Disk Defrag (clickylinky). Maybe it's not the best, but it's free and a very good defragmentation program.
Recommended: configure Firefox in such a manner that, when you exit that browser, it will automatically clean up its temporary files (or ask you whether it should do that). Yet, use CCleaner regularly to make sure nothing stays behind: not from Firefox, neither from Windows.

By the way, this should actually be posted in the "Gamer's Hellp" forum, this place is meant for discussing all kinds of software.

[Slaymate]

I would run Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware 1st
http://www.spybot.info/en/mirrors/index.html
http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php
And then I would follow Richard's advise. But there are a
few other things that could be causing your problems.
The next time it starts acting up touch the top of the
Hard Drive. It should be warm, but not hot. If it's hot
then your drive is dying. After that I'd have to say the
controller on the mobo is dying.