FINALLY got it together to move from Win98SE to XP. Loaded it onto the PC (which NEVER had a freezing problem before this), scanned for bugs/spyware/malware, no problems.
If you monitor the Task Monitor and watch CPU USAGE, it goes to 100% every 6 'cycles' (vertical lines) or so, then comes down to around 20% for a while then 6 cycles later, does it again.

It doesn't do it all the time. It usually starts after I've been on the computer a while (>30min), and seems to reset after a shutdown/reboot.

This freezes me out for 30-60 seconds at a time, so it makes the PC almost unusable.

HELP!

What can you wizards recommend?

1st solution should be increase virtual memory settings
and next atleast 1 GB free space in the drives containing OS's
and then stop or kill the unneccesssary applications running on ur system

check it and tell me

I had this problem with my son-in-law's computer and then with several others as well. Chances are, if you're going from 98 to XP you don't have enough RAM on your puter for XP. I think MS says the system requirements are something like 128MB of RAM but that is RIDICULOUS! Even with 256MB, it will be slow. I suggest 512MB, if the machine is upgradable to it.

My son-in-law's computer was actually sold to him with 128MB of RAM and XP home (SHAME ON YOU DELL!). In other cases, people have done upgrades to XP and their puter virtually STOP! In each case, increasing the RAM solved the problem.

HTH,
Laurel