I agree with checking for blocking first, but I'm surprised that two of the most fundamental things aren't even listed: check the SQL log for unreported errors and check the server performance counters for any current bottlenecks.
My blog: SQL Soldier[/url] SQL Server Best Practices: SQL Server Best Practices Twitter: @SQLSoldier My book: Pro SQL Server 2008 Mirroring[/url] Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, Data Platform MVP Database Engineer at BlueMountain Capital Management[/url]