Freezing Dialogue Boxes -

Today on our Home XP machine, we encountered a problem I've never heard or seen. When we go to an "Open" or "Save" menu, and the dialog box opens, when we click on the top line (drop-down menu to tell where to go to open a file or where to save a file) the program freezes solid. Computer stays operational; other programs work. But that particular program is done and the only way out is Task Manager delete.

This also happens in email programs. I tried to send an attachment, and when I went to the dialog box to find the attachment, the program locked at that point. This happened with Outlook Express and with Thunderbird.

Have you heard of such? Does anyone have knowledge of what is going on?

Thank you

Ken