email problem

This chump has been stumped...

 

Working on a friends two new Dells Dimensions running XP Home Ed.  For some reason there are problems sending messages or gaining access to web based pages.

 

Outlook express has some issues - but I can't even go to the web based pages.  So I can go to hotmail.com, but as soon as I click on the mail tab - the unit freezes.  When I go to SBCGlobal - I can go to any page without a problem - except when I open the mail page.

 

I have turned off the internet security and XP firewall - still wiht the same problem. I have taken a laptop on the network - and it works fine.  But on either of these new units - I can not get to those email pages.

 

Any thoughts?