New WinXP Pro - Display Properties Hangs !

Friends
brand new computer fresh load windows XP Professional on Cpq Evo DC510 w/ 1.5GB RAM and Nvidia FX5200 graphics card. Other than some mysterious slowdowns on certain routines, things work pretty good except that when I pull up the "Display Properties" applet from the Control Panel menu, it gets wacky. IS the Nvidia display properties harming this function? If I change anything in the MS Display properties app, like changing the Screen Saver [it keeps stopping for no reason], then hit "Apply", the applet goes bonkers..... long long hang with the "busy" hourglass, then the display of that box will fragment and just sort of stay in pieces on the display screen until something else clobbers it.

Any clues what causes this? Any clue what defeats the screen saver from working right?

thx
zapp

 

These aren't sold in stores.
Clean load of XP pro, cleaned up registry, shiny new HD, new memory, new everything, new Nvidia FX5200 card, shiny new Nvidia drivers. Not a lot loaded on the machine... just the usual suspects: Windows Defender, all the updates to OS, MS Office 2000 with SP3 applied, Belarc, Avast Anti-V package, a couple of photo editors..... that's it.

 

2, and the kitchen sink
z