It sounds like there is either some program running in the background causing problems, or you have some sort of a resource or driver problem.
Fist things first, what else is running when you play AH? Scheduler or Virus scanner or something? Check by hitting <CTR><ALT><DEL> and looking at the task list. In an optimal setup, the ONLY things running when you play should be Explorer and Systray. If you use a modem, I guess dial-up networking would add something else, but you get the idea. To start with, you want to clean everything out of the system tray on the bottom right beside the clock. The only thing you should see there is the volume applet (little speaker) and it won't cause you any trouble. Kill everything else. There may be some things running when you start your computer that you either don't know about or don't want. You can get rid of these by going to the Start Menu, Choosing Run, and typing in "msconfig" and hitting OK. In the Startup tab on the right you can see everything that is starting automatically on your computer, and disable the ones you do not want. You should leave things like Scan Registry, TaskMon, and Systray, but get rid of things like "TimeSink Add client" or "Microsoft Office Startup". It's best to uncheck one thing at a time, reboot, and make sure everything works ok. If you killed something you need or want, you can just go back into msconfig and tick the box again and it will start next time. I get rid of things like MSN Messenger from MS Config, and I just run messenger from the shortcut when I decide to, not all the time.
If you have something like a virus scanner running, you may want to leave it in automatic startup. The best solution in that case is just to <CNTRL><ALT><DEL> and kill those tasks just before playing AH, then you can reboot your machine or manually start the program again after and still be protected.
If none of this helps, let me know and we'll talk about resource conflicts, drivers, and such.
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Lephturn - Chief Trainer
A member of The Flying Pigs
http://www.flyingpigs.com "A pig is a jolly companion, Boar, sow, barrow, or gilt --
A pig is a pal, who'll boost your morale, Though mountains may topple and tilt.
When they've blackballed, bamboozled, and burned you, When they've turned on you, Tory and Whig,
Though you may be thrown over by Tabby and Rover, You'll never go wrong with a pig, a pig,
You'll never go wrong with a pig!" -- Thomas Pynchon, "Gravity's Rainbow"
