8.5 client locks up

Running on Thinkpad w500 with IBM ISSI Image XP with SP3. I use the full featured client. After ahn hour or so the client locks up. This happens when I am opening mail either from Inbox or other folders where I have stored mail. I check the Task Manager Applications tab and find it is empty… not a single application is listed, yet I know I have Firefox, Rational Developer and several other applications listed in toolbar. I can switch to any of these applications and they operate fine, but the client does not respond to anything. I can locate nlnotes.exe from task manager process tab and kill the task and then I notice the list of applications suddenly appears in the task manager applications tab.I have removed and reinstalled the client, but the symptom has persisted. Any suggestions on a resolution would be greatly appreciated. Tosh.