WINDOWS XP DRASTIC SLOWDOWN ON PRIMARY SEARCH

When I ask Windows to go to “My Computer” in order to select a drive to which I want access, it throws up a waving flashlight which goes from side to side, over a yellow “folder” icon, and sits there, doing this, for minutes on end, before finally giving me the list of drives. Any ideas as to why? I have done all cleanups, cleanouts, de-frags, etc etc I can think of.

At the same time, I can no longer persuade the PC to connetc to my digital camera: it tell me that it cannot locate the device, and I have done nothing to change any settings I have been using for about two years.

Are these above two thing possibly related?

Grateful for any help