Windows Explorer XP 5.1 Windows often hangs when I open a file

The issue is that my windows explorer (what a Mac user would call the Finder Window) keeps hanging on me.  In the folder-name bar, it has the folder name, then "(Not Responding)". I end up clicking the red X at the top right to close it, then selecting 'End Program', letting it start up again, and then opening a new windows explorer and navigating my way back to the folder.  This happens often when I double click to open a file.  It happens frequently and is getting annoying.

Someone suggested that I defragment my hard drive.  I've run the defragger over and over until there's not much left to de-frag.  No help.

Search on Microsoft site didn't help.
Attempt to do a Microsoft updatate didn't show any patches for XP 5.1, service pack 3.

Google search resulted in http://www.analogduck.com/main/explorer_hangs  which links to http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1167888467

I followed the advice from http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1167888467 here:

To stop ctfmon from autostarting and running all the time:
Control Panel>Regional and Language Options>Languages>Details>Advanced,
 and check the box that says "Turn off advanced text services." 

And I've gone into the Task Manager and stopped ctfmon.exe.

I've gone into the Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Services window and stopped the SSDP Discovery Services (along with other services that I didn't think I needed.)

Let's see if it helps...

2:56pm.  The (Not Responding) happened when I tried to open a text document by double-clicking, but it didn't last as long.
7pm.  No, I'm still getting the hanging when I try to double-click to edit a text file.  And I have re-booted since the previous changes.
Oh well.