Hi, all, sorry to bother you: I've checked through the archives here and I can't find anything directly bearing on my problem: since yesterday every time I try to open Word 2000 it prompts me with a depressingly familiar prompt box message with the following text "Microsoft Word for Windows has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience." and the following error signature: AppName: winword.exe AppVer: 9.0.0.4527 ModName: winword.exe ModVer: 9.0.0.452 Offset: 00044f1a. Resetting to previous settings isn't an option at the moment, sadly, and the software is pre-installed on XP, which makes uninstallation and re-installation tricky. However, in following some of the advice in the FAQs on the homepage of computing.net, I noticed that my PC's My Computer folder returns no hits on normal.dot...as I understand it this wouldn't normally cause a problem since Word reconstructs it in the event of its absence. Anyway, I'm hoping that the bright sparks here could be of some help - Christ knows I need it. All the best Jonathan

Hi Jonathan Could be this More likely this Try these. Haven't had the problem myself so cannot really comment beyond doing a google. That phrase "sorry for the inconvenience" reaks of virus to me, but I now know better - the clever people from MS have learned that by saying that you instantly calm down any potential frustration or anger in your users. (There was another answer, but it was on a subs based site. Here's the link it you want it: O ) Good luck Tom