PPRuNe Forums - Network slow after using email client

This is wierd.

I have 512/128k ADSL, P4 with 1Gb RAM, heaps of disk space, XP Home SP2 fully updated, ZA Pro, Pest Patrol, Spy Sweeper, and Trend Micro PCCillin Internet Security. I connect to Internet through a D-Link DSL 604+ wireless ADSL modem/router.

All was well, until one day, out of the blue the following pattern emerged:

After using Outlook to collect my mail then leaving it minimised in the Task Bar, my network runs pathetically slow from that point on. Even local connections (eg to the router) take ages, and internet is worse than dialup. It takes ages to get to the target page and graphics take forever to appear, where they used to be lightning fast. Once a download page is loaded, which may take ages, downloading actual files occurs at normal speed.

If I close Outlook and my browser, then re-open the browser, the speed may return to normal, but not always. Sometimes I have to reboot to regain normal performance, which remains as fast as you like until I re-open Outlook, then the pattern recurs.

The behaviour is repeatable and also occurs if I use Outlook Express instead of Outlook.

This only happens on my desktop PC. It is connected to the router via 10/100 ethernet.

My lappy uses the wireless part and does not exhibit the problem, so I'm thinking the problem is not in the modem/router.

I've done a repair installation of XP on the desktop PC with a slipstreamed SP2 disk, reconfigured my network, done a disk cleanup, chkdisk /r, defragged. Ive scanned with Spybot, Adaware, Pest Patrol, Spy Sweeper and Trend Micro, all updated, with no result

I'm out of ideas. Any suggestions before I do what seems to be the inevitable format and re-install, which I've been putting off for 2 reasons;

1 It's such a hassle
2 I want to learn what's going on instead of just papering over the problem.

Cheers

AA