08-20-2021, 11:52 AM
Final Update: I finally managed to trace the problem to the source! And it has nothing to do with GIMP at all! Nor does it have anything to do with Windows, really. "Ofnuts" hit very close to the source with his suggestion re "phantom drives". The problem is a failing disk controller on another computer on my home network. Two of the partitions of that machine appear as network drives Q: and R: on the machine with the malfunctioning GIMP. Attempting to access Q: or R: via Windows Explorer causes Windows Explorer to freeze-up for 30 minutes. And since GIMP has to use the same function calls to the same DLL files as Windows Explorer does when I click File/New or File/Save or File/Open, GIMP also freezes up for 30 minutes, waiting for Windows, which is waiting for the disk controller on the other machine to return info re drives "Q:" and "R:".
The cure is for me to get rid of that damn computer completely. It's a dinosaur and a dunsel. I've only been using it because it's the only computer I have that's compatible with my old Epson scanner/printer. But I just ordered a brand-new Cannon scanner/printer, so I'll now be able to put that old computer out to pasture.
So, again, thanks to all who offered help; thanks to your hints, I was able to trace this problem to its root.
The cure is for me to get rid of that damn computer completely. It's a dinosaur and a dunsel. I've only been using it because it's the only computer I have that's compatible with my old Epson scanner/printer. But I just ordered a brand-new Cannon scanner/printer, so I'll now be able to put that old computer out to pasture.
So, again, thanks to all who offered help; thanks to your hints, I was able to trace this problem to its root.