1. hibernating - I don' think your pc will hibernate when running UD client for WCG. Windows assumes that if a task is running - rather than just sitting in memory - that you do not want it to hibernate. For example, if you are downloading a large file, windows would consider the program doing the dl active and therefore will not hibernate. You might be able to get around this with the BOINC client if you install it as a process. There are others here with the expertise to advise you on this so hang tight until they respond to your post.

2. very, very sluggish performance can often be a sign that you do not have enough disk space allocated to virtual memory. Neither the BOINC nor UD client should interfere with normal operations on your computer. Both run with the lowest possible priority so virtually any other task will take precedence. However both do use memory. What could be happening is that when you put the agent into snooze mode, it writes any memory resident data out to disk and then releases that memory back to the system. That then gives your system enough virtual memory to run properly. If you don't know how to allocate more virtual memory and want to try that, please post again.

I just had a similar problem. Somehow virtual memory was being allocated on only one of my drives on one pc. I had to go in and permit the system to allocate virtual memory on each drive. Once I did that, I could once again run multiple memory intensive programs without it slowing to a crawl or crashing.

On dial-up, uploading/downloading takes so much of the limited bandwidth that, yes, mail checking is difficult. My wife has learned to either snooze it or LET THE WOOKIE WIN (let BOINC finish). After the uploading/downloading is done, BOINC will get out of the way for anything else.