Why does FileSystemObject hang all of a sudden?

Likely, you (re-)installed or re-configured Norton Anti-Virus, and as a result, a call within ASP to OpenTextFile hangs and/or other methods stop responding. This program has an option called 'script blocking' which, among other things, prevents FileSystemObject from working on the local file system. With the default setting, Norton raises a 'prompt'... and sits there waiting and waiting for a response from ASP (which it can obviously never get). To stop this from happening, go to Norton's Options screen, click on 'Script Blocking' and uncheck 'Enable Script Blocking'... 
 
 
 
Keep in mind you shouldn't be running client applications like this on a commercial web server... hopefully this issue is only affecting your workstation! 
 
There is more information available from Microsoft and Symantec on this issue: 
 
    Microsft KB #Q295375 
 
    Symantec KB #2001031311101006 
 
There are other options in Norton that have been identified as the source of this problem; for example, if your web server also has an SMTP server, you may need to disable the "Scan Outgoing Email" option. 
 
Norton isn't the only tool that 'helps' you by disabling access to scripting objects like FileSystemObject: McAfee VirusScan may also be preventing you from utilizing everyday scripts. Here is a screen shot from Walter Allen, running 7.02.6000, who had to disable the 'Hawk script stopper' feature before he could read and write text files on his machine: 
 
 
 
Also look out for a McAfee sub-component called "script watcher"...