My application has run into an interesting problem on some computers:  it draws very slowly (especially toolbars).  However, on those same computers, if you go to a webpage that has a Macromedia Flash animation on it, the painting suddenly becomes lightning fast.

It could be Windows, it could be the video driver, it could be our code.

There is some common threads between the computers that are affected, many are Dell, but not all.

We cannot explain it.

The problem is that this is one of those things that once you start profiling or debugging, you’re then affecting the performance outcome which leads you down many false trails.  These are the worst types of problems to debug.