I had the problem of paint programs freezing/IE freezing/ netscape navigator freezing/ etc! I got a new motherboard (because xp wouldn't install on my old one!!!!!!!!!) and I don't have any freezes!!!! Not sure if it's the xp or motherboard. I still get cpu 100% usage warnings though, everything stops responding temporarily, then it works again. Not sure how to help you but it could be related, with computers, you never know. Best Buy couldn't even fix mine, I did. (And I am a girl!)
I've not broken anything yet but when it was locking up, average, 5 times a day w/daily usage, I was getting extremely frustrated and tempted to through the dang thing out the window but got to thinking of the cost of the entire thing compared to one or two parts!!!
So I managed to just jump out of my seat and head outside for fresh air and a cigarette, as contradicting as that is.
Good luck to you!!! Try http://www.google.com and search for your problem, may find a solution that way.