Hey everybody. I'm new here so I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, but bear with me

I have a Windows XP and every time I try to open a Internet Explorer link, whether it be on the Desktop or in the Programs menu, ect., the window won't open. There's no alert that there's a problem, the link just won't open. The only way I can open the internet is by going to my email and clicking on a link from one of the emails to go to a website. My browser works fine, but it's very frustrating. Some minor notes maybe to consider: When I one of the links, the start panel (hmm how do I put this?) flickers as if it's going to open the window, but then it just....stops, and nothing happens. I've also tried right-clicking the link and opening it there, but the same situation happens. Shortcuts to the Explorer won't work either, and neither will using the Run option. Also, if I try to open explorer through anything else, say, opening something with Explorer, it does the same thing. I think that's about all I can think of, so anybody have help...?