Errattic click-on for search box inquires

This is the system that the question concerns:
hp Pavilion ze5600 laptop
ze5615sr
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Version2002 Service Pack 3
55277-OEM-0011903-00101
Pentium 4 CPU 2.66GHz
2.66GHz, 960MB Ram
Internet Explorer 6

I am having trouble while clicking on search boxes and getting it to activate for an inquiry. It doesn’t matter what search engine or web site I use. The touchpad on this laptop otherwise works fine and I’m able to navigate except for these search boxes. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.