I have a relatively new (less than 3 months old) near top of the line HP that runs EXTREMELY slowly. I don't download much, and when I do DL I try to be careful about it.

I'm no computer expert, but I know enough to disable crap in MSConfig, run Ad-aware frequently, and keep Norton running constantly. Nevertheless, Explorer crashes...A LOT...and there's often a hesitation of several seconds before web pages load, despite the cable internet connection. I have another computer in another apartment that also uses cable, is older and slower, and yet navigates the web literally many times faster.

I'm at wit's end and don't know what to do! Please advise. Here's a hijack log:

Logfile of HijackThis v1.97.7
Scan saved at 1:16:40 PM, on 5/31/2004
Platform: Windows XP SP1 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
c:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
C:\WINDOWS\ehome\ehSched.exe
c:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\ehome\ehtray.exe
C:\windows\system\hpsysdrv.exe
C:\Program Files\USB Storage RW\shwicon.exe
C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Digital Imaging\Unload\hpqcmon.exe
C:\HP\KBD\KBD.EXE
C:\Program Files\VERITAS Software\Update Manager\sgtray.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe
C:\WINDOWS\ehome\ehmsas.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\3\E_S4I2G1.EXE
C:\Program Files\AIM\aim.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\Temporary Directory 2 for hijackthis.zip\HijackThis.exe
C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.haaretzdaily.com/
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://us7.hpwis.com/
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://srch-us7.hpwis.com/
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://us7.hpwis.com/
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://srch-us7.hpwis.com/
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 6.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll
O2 - BHO: NAV Helper - {BDF3E430-B101-42AD-A544-FADC6B084872} - c:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msdxm.ocx
O3 - Toolbar: hp toolkit - {B2847E28-5D7D-4DEB-8B67-05D28BCF79F5} - C:\HP\EXPLOREBAR\HPTOOLKT.DLL
O3 - Toolbar: Norton AntiVirus - {42CDD1BF-3FFB-4238-8AD1-7859DF00B1D6} - c:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Google - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ehTray] C:\WINDOWS\ehome\ehtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [hpsysdrv] c:\windows\system\hpsysdrv.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [KYE_Showicon] "C:\Program Files\USB Storage RW\shwicon.exe" -t"KYE\USB Storage RW"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CamMonitor] c:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Digital Imaging\Unload\hpqcmon.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [KBD] C:\HP\KBD\KBD.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [StorageGuard] "C:\Program Files\VERITAS Software\Update Manager\sgtray.exe" /r
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Recguard] C:\WINDOWS\SMINST\RECGUARD.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccApp] "c:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccRegVfy] "c:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccRegVfy.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\System32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PS2] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ps2.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [EPSON Stylus CX5400] C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\3\E_S4I2G1.EXE /P19 "EPSON Stylus CX5400" /O6 "USB001" /M "Stylus CX5400"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MSConfig] C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\MSConfig.exe /auto
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [AIM] C:\Program Files\AIM\aim.exe -cnetwait.odl
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" /background
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Google Search - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmsearch.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Backward &Links - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmbacklinks.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Cac&hed Snapshot of Page - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmcache.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Si&milar Pages - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmsimilar.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Translate into English - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmtrans.html
O9 - Extra button: AIM (HKLM)
O9 - Extra button: Real.com (HKLM)
O9 - Extra button: Messenger (HKLM)
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Messenger (HKLM)
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O16 - DPF: Yahoo! Backgammon - http://download.games.yahoo.com/games/clients/y/at0_x.cab
O16 - DPF: Yahoo! Chess - http://download.games.yahoo.com/games/clients/y/ct1_x.cab
O16 - DPF: {02BF25D5-8C17-4B23-BC80-D3488ABDDC6B} (QuickTime Object) - http://www.apple.com/qtactivex/qtplugin.cab
O16 - DPF: {2253F320-AB68-4A07-917D-4F12D8884A06} (ChainCast VMR Client Proxy) - http://www.streamaudio.com/download/ccpm_0237.cab
O16 - DPF: {9F1C11AA-197B-4942-BA54-47A8489BB47F} (Update Class) - http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/C...8982407407
O16 - DPF: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} (Shockwave Flash Object) - http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shoc...wflash.cab
O16 - DPF: {E87F6C8E-16C0-11D3-BEF7-009027438003} (Persits Software XUpload) - http://www.pictor.co.il/Upload/XUpload.ocx
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{AB5AABAF-C8A4-42E3-8620-1FD9BE0EC01C}: NameServer = 216.143.135.11,216.143.135.12

This log is completely clean. I do not see any malware of any sort in this log.

Now you say you have delays when going to websites. Are the DNS servers exactly the same on both computers? I would check that. Also run a defrag to be safe.

Lastly you may want to update all the hardware drivers that may be available for your computer.

With CD in, You could just put this in the RUN command box and hit enter.
rundll32.exe advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection C:\Windows\Inf\sr.inf
d_may

Did you do the above?

For starters how much memory do you have? I would strongly suggest getting 1 gig of memory. Second, download Everest Home Edition and go through the programs that are loading up at start up. Get rid of anything that doesn't absolutely need to be there. Also, down by the far right hand side where the time is, see what programs are lying resident in memory and jettison anything that absolutely doesn't need to be there. If there are things there, they are robbing your computer of memory. Also, I highly recommend two memory programs: Rambooster, and Cacheman. Set up cacheman through the wizard and you will not regret it. I also have Spyware Guard and X-Cleaner, Spybot and Adaware. Remove as many of your *.tmp and *.bak files and run your defrag at least once a month. Try this and let me know how it's goin'. Good luck!