Hi Jeff, Jim, John, Bill, all,
I contacted HP and have a few issues with my laptop itself. I'm going to do some diagnostic things they recommended, one of which is a BIOS update (so I may yet be able to access the BIOS suggestion soon). But mostly I've unknowingly attached a burdensome USB port replicator/hub to my laptop to gain more slots to hook "stuff" up.
What I need is a proper docking station. This may be causing my freezes. I'm not sure whether it is impairing my ability to run Premiere or not, but my plan is to run these diagnostics, get my computer up to speed, buy a docking station, get all that hooked up correctly and then try Premiere again.
So it may be a few days, after I order and receive a docking station and get set up, that I return here with any more news on how it's going.
Thank you all for your input. Maybe between all hundred or so of us we can get one skinny little laptop to work! :>)
Sincerely, I appreciate you working with me to figure this out. More later . . .