IE 8 freezes when new browser window opens

Hello,
I have IE 8 running on Windows 7 and every time a new window opens, it freezes. The only way to get it to respond is to key Ctrl/alt/delete, then cancel. I can also restart the computer, but I have to do it manually. I have tried various things suggested to others for this problem but it still persists. Please help! Thanks,
Carol