ahhh.....this old chestnut. i find that this usually helps: 1. open word, File>properties 2. on the 'custom' sub menu within properties, make sure that "text" is selected. 3. pick up your keyboard, smash it against the computer screen, PC tower and any other nearby computer items. 4. sit back and laugh in a manic fashion. if nothing else, you might get some time off work, therefore avoiding the whole sorry affair of having to deal with microsoft word documents. hope this helps. pz