2008 Imac Freezing when importing files

[jgaz]

I have a 2008 Imac that has started to act up. It freezes every time I try to import files into a program. For example when I try to import a some pictures into aperture from a folder on the computer or from Iphoto. I also have some music on an external drive that I have from my power book that I am trying to import into itunes and it freezes doing that. When it freezes the whole computer becomes unresponsive and I have to force shut it down with the power button. I have ran disk utility and repaired permissions and verified the disk, everything checks out there. I have also ran some cache cleaners (onyx and snow leopard cache cleaner) nothing seems to be helping.