I use OE 6 as my e-mail application. Every time I click on an embedded webpage link in an e-mail, OE6 freezes up. I can still use other applications, but to make OE 6 work, I have to reboot.

This is a new Thinkpad laptop from IBM, so I am guessing it must be something to do with the default settings, because on my desktop I can open a link in the same e-mail message with no similar problem.

Any ideas?

Make sure to do a repair on Internet Explorer & check to see if you need any updates on your system.

Also try this:
1. In Outlook Express, on the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Click the Maintenance tab, click to clear the Compact messages in the background check box, and then click OK.
3. Quit and then restart Outlook Express.

I tried this and it still did not work but I did find this solution but it only worked Temporary than I had to redo it

Let me fix it myself
To fix this problem yourself, follow these steps:
1.Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2.On the Tools menu, click Folder Options.
3.In the Folder Options dialog box, click the File Types tab.
4.In the Registered file types list, click (NONE) URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol, and then click Advanced.
5.In the Edit File Type dialog box, click Edit.

Important Make sure that you note the current values for the fields that are in this dialog box before you go to the next step. You may have to restore the values for the fields that you changed if this method does not resolve the issue.
6.In the Action box, type open if it is not already there.
7.In the Application used to perform action box, type "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" -nohome if it is not already there.
8.Click to select the Use DDE check box if it is not already selected.
9.In the DDE Message box, type "%1", -1,0,, if it is not already there.
10.In the Application box, type IExplore if it is not already there.
11.Make sure that there is no value in the DDE Application Not Running box. If there is a value in this box, delete it.
12.In the Topic box, type WWW_OpenURL if it is not already there.
13.To close the Edit File Type dialog box, click OK two times.
14.In the Registered file types list, locate and click (NONE) URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol with Privacy, and then click Advanced.
15.Repeat steps 5 through 14 by using the (NONE) URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol with Privacy list item instead of the (NONE) URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol list item.
16.To close the Folder Options dialog box, click OK.
17.Test a hyperlink from Outlook Express.