Upload of photos from card reader freezes. Help!

I am using Sandisk Extreme Compact Flash Cards. For the past week, when I try to upload photos into the Elements Organizer, the upload freezes. Sometimes it freezes at about photo number 160, sometimes earlier. This has happened with multiple flash cards. I have called Dell tech support twice requesting help for this problem. After I talked to them last week, I was able to upload my photos. But tonight, I tried uploading photos and it slowed down drastically. It slowed down at about 160 photos again, and then slowly uploaded photos up to number 301, at which time it froze for good. I called Dell tech support again, and they found that a Windows update had stalled. The tech allowed the update to install, and then restarted my computer. When I tried to upload my photos again, it still froze. The Dell tech thinks I need to reinstall my entire operating system! So my questions are:

Could it be a problem with Elements itself, and if so, should I reinstall it?

Could it be a problem with the card reader? The photos all show up on the download page when I tell Elements to get photos from the card reader.

Dell thinks it probably is my operating system.

I don't know whether to reinstall Elements, buy a new card reader to see if that works, have the operating system reinstalled (which would wipe everything off my computer), or give up and buy a new computer. Help-I need advice quickly!!!