[speekinout]

Now if someone can tell me why my husband's Gateway, running XP, is suddenly refusing to load web pages even though I've scanned for viruses, adware, spyware, defragged, and dumped temporary files, please share! I'm about ready to chuck it out the window

I have a Mac desktop and a Win laptop. The Win laptop gets all of the viruses. No matter what I do. I buy a new "used" laptop just about every year, because the viruses make the last one unusable. I've never had a problem with the Mac.
Maybe this year I will decide that an Apple laptop is a better investment than a Win one that will go south within months.

The anti-virus software only prevents you from getting ones that are already known. If you are one of the first to get it, too bad.
My used laptops never come with the ability to re-load Win. If you can't do that, just chuck the computer and start over.

[Not A Snowbird]

I think it's fixed... I moved the hard-wire cable connection and router to the Gateway and put the wireless receiver in my new Dell. The Gateway is now clicking along smartly, and I didn't notice any slowdown in the Dell. So I guess the Gateway didn't like being wireless.

Or it's haunted.