When clicking on a url link in a mail message, I get a 90 second delay
before the corresponding web page is displayed in Firefox (regardless if
Firefox was already started or not). Same delay occurs also when the
link is in some application (in Help, for example).

I suspect that the problem is more likely with Windows (XP Pro SP2 and
all fixes) and not with Thunderbird or Firefox, but I don't know where
to start looking. Maybe some Service that has stopped.

It may be related that I also have an issue with Internet Options (from
Control Panel): having done a change and pressed OK or Apply, the thing
hangs and can only be killed from Task Manager. The rest of the system
works ok.

--
Gary