Thanks, everybody, for you efforts to help me solve the problem. But sad to report, nothing works.

Both machines have Windows XP, same incarnation as far as I can tell.

I'm using the exact same version of Word on the "new old" machine that was on the "old old" machine. The same. Word 2002. The Geek had a very wimpy little word processing program loaded on the "new old" machine (less features than Wordpad), so I pulled out the distribution disk I received with the Dell laptop that rolled over and died about six years ago (how long has it been since any outfit sent you the distribution disks for the pre-loaded software anymore?) and loaded that. That was what I was using on the Dell, before I got the "old old" Hewlett-Packard Pavilion and then loaded on it and used rather than activating (at a substantial cost) the Office package they had pre-loaded (I don't really need spreadsheets, PowerPoint, etc., at least not at that price). That same Word 2002 has worked fine for me for many years.

I tried changing the Default Programs, but it had no effect, and when I pulled up the "Default Programs" window again, it had reverted to "Custom," where it had been when I first opened it. Tried it a number of times and it had no effect. Simply went right back.

In "Tools, Options, Save," it already reads "Word Document (*.doc)," but it doesn't seem to have any effect either.

No, the "Geek" didn't give me my hard drive back. He said that it was moribund, and it was touch-and-go getting my documents and other stuff transferred. He said that I really needed a new laptop, and he offered me the refurbished one, saying, "It will at least keep you going until you can get a new computer."

My "old old" HP had a 15.5" screen, and the "new old" HP has a 17.3" screen. My wife and I watch a lot of NetFlix movies on the laptop and we've come to really like the larger screen. So—I'm computer shopping.

Does anyone know if you stomp and scream and throw a tantrum you can get them (HP, Dell, etc.) to send the distribution disks for pre-loaded software along with the new machine? I have a friend who works for Microsoft, and she says that about every three or four months (when her computer starts slowing down and acting up) she resorts to what she calls "The Nuclear Option:"   Katie reformats her hard disk and reloads all of the software she uses. "It's a pain in the neck and it takes a couple of hours, but then it runs like a brand new computer and it saves me a lot of time and aggravation in the long run." Sounds like a good plan, but of course you have to have the distribution disks.

Anyway, thanks for the assistance. It looks like my real solution is to spring for a new contraption.

Don Firth