Here are some things to try .
Do you have all the latest updates , SP2 etc ?
Application Slow-Downs in Windows XP
http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/47.htm
Control Panel > Network Connections > Right-click your main network connection , choose
Properties > Double-click "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" > Click Advanced button > Select WINS tab .
The solution I've seen recommended and posted in various places is to remove the check mark beside "Enable LMHOSTS lookup" on the WINS tab and/or "Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP." People report that the application slow-downs go away .
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Disable Indexing Services
http://www.tweakxp.com/tweakxp/display.asp?id=1335
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/OptimizeXP.html
Indexing services is a small program that hogs HUGE amounts of RAM and can often make a computer endlessly loud and noisy . This system process indexing and updates lists of the files on your system, so you can search for them quickly , but it's completley unnecessary .
To disable it , go to the Control Panel and click Add or Remove Programs . Click the Add/Remove Window Components . Simply untick the Indexing services and click Next!
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Classic Start Menu Mode (Browsing Boost)
http://www.windowsxpatoz.com/cgi-bin/performance/index.cgi?answer=1036282535&id=1036282433
WARNING: Keep in mind that this tweak is intended for people using the "Classic Start Menu" mode to browse through the Start Menu.
If your Start Menu loads right away when you click on it, but goes slow while you browse through it, this will certainly solve your problem. It's quite simple actually, just follow these steps:
1. Right Click on your taskbar and choose "Properties"
2. Choose the "Start Menu" Tab and then click on "Customize"(Classic Start Menu :) Obviously)
3. Scroll Down the "Advanced Start Menu Options" list and uncheck the "Use Personalized Menus" option, click "OK", then "Apply" and "OK" to finish.
There's no need to reboot, you'll see the difference right away. Another good advice to keep you start menu working smooth is to restrict the number of programs and icons listed as much as possible, keep in mind that it works just like any other regular folder, the less you index, the faster it gets.
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Make icons in windows appear quicker
http://www.windowsxpatoz.com/cgi-bin/performance/index.cgi?answer=1036282565&id=1036282433
In Windows XP everytime you open My Computer to browse folders XP automatically searches for network files and printers. This causes a delay in displaying your icons. You probably see the "default" windows icon and as you scroll it changes to the correct icon. This is how to stop that...
1. Open My Computer
2. Click on the Tools menu and select Folder Options...
3. Under Folder Options select the view tab.
4. Uncheck the very first box that reads "Automatically search for network folders and printers".
5. Click "Apply" or "OK"
You should see a dramatic increase in speed when Windows displays your icons.
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Windows XP Icon Cache
http://www.windowsxpatoz.com/cgi-bin/performance/index.cgi?answer=1036282579&id=1036282433
Are you experiencing icon lag, while browsing thru all your Start icons and programs? Do you have a smaller menu delay and your icons need ages to load? No need to give up.
Just delete the IconCache.db file from your profile directory (usually /Documents and Settings/Username/Local Settings/Application Data).
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Black Viper's Top tweaks for a much faster PC
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/supertweaks.htm
