While trying to save a file out of Excel, clicking the parent directory button would cause a delayed reponse taking about 20 seconds to a few minutes before the file requestor would update. I immediately thought, could a virus have slipped through? Is spyware causing this?

After running some virus scans and running spyware searches, I determined that the problem only occured while accessing files. No other program had this delay, but it certainly existed and persisted even after a reboot. Going on the notion that it was file access related, I tried cleaning up my messy desktop. No help.

Finally, after disabling all network connected devices the problem went away. The network device which caused these problems for me was an HP printer’s Card Reader slot. I never wanted this installed on my system, but HP insists that I share and enjoy all their bulky device software. No doubt that I will post a solution for that in the future.

 For shame Microsoft! Every other program seems to understand how to handle a disconnected device better using your own OS than your own programs!