thanks for the help ya'll...i havent to my knowledge added any new software, downloads, and definitely no hardware lately...it just started couple days ago..have run scan disk couple of times, it fixed any errors, i also did a system restore to when it worked ok, that didnt help either...i don't hear any strange noises from my hard disk, and i can access internet, winamp, viruscan console, etc. ok...it's just the 3 i listed above...win me has been pretty stable for me for 2 years until recently, i'm stuck..anything you can help with is appreciated...thanks again......oh, my memory free is ok and system monitor numbers look ok...the mouse still moves, but that's the only response i get...