I've been using this myself for a while:
Add “Show / Hide Hidden Files†Option in Desktop and Explorer Context Menu under Windows XP, Vista and 7 - Tweaking with Vishal
It probably does the same a carnageX's post but it add the option in your right-click menu
Grtz,
Girmi
It is possible with the program Virtual Audio Cable (Virtual Audio Cable Home Page), although it requires some effort. A detailed guide on how to use it for different purposes can be found here: Virtual Audio Cable Enables Multiple Audio Outputs in Windows 7
My guess is that it's a RAM problem. Try checking taskmanager for any programs that hog memory.
Also try the free and lightweight program cleanmem, maybe it'll help you out. Download CleanMem 2.3.2 Free - This tool keeps memory use in check on the system without any of the memory being pushed to...