Thanks to all respondents for the assistance above.
Sorry about the "frustration" error where I referred to "cut and paste" where I meant "copy and paste".
Using Windosw Vista Home Basic, which was preloaded on the new computer, which gives me Internet Explorer as my internet link. So far I've had no problems at all with Vista, which has quite happily run all my ancient programs such as Office Pro., even Pressworks 2.5 dated Oct. 1998. Previously all the same programs ran satisfactorily on Windows ME. One can only speak as one finds.
Back to my problem.
I can right-click on a sentence to highlight it, which is successful. Right-click again should bring up the "copy and paste" menu, which it doesn't. Just nothing.
Using the drop-down "Edit" menu WILL copy the highlighted area, allowing me to insert it into "Word" or wherever.
Could it be that my mouse is at fault, (one of these new type with headlights, rather than with it's balls under it's tail)?
Or is there some secret code that I need to enter to restore the mouse to full working order?
Please don't ask me about "versions", "editions" or anything else technical. While I fully understand the way in which the body works (I'm an osteopath) the workings of a computer are a black art.
TIA
Colyn