I found the solution--at least a solution to the mouse problem at the website
www.itwriting.com/blog/?p=140
I am NOT a techie, but searched with Google to come up with this site.
The writer, Tim Anderson, seems to really know what he is doing, and by
following his instructions, I was able to solve the problem. The title of the
article (in case this website doesn't take you directly to it), is "Annoying
Word 2007 problem: can't select text".
The problem has to do with "add-ins" installed in Word. When I loaded a
program called SnagIt (great screen capture program) on my Vista system (I
had used it for years on XP), it asked me if I wanted to have SnagIt
available within my new Word program. I said yes, figuring there would be no
problem. Apparently, Word 2007 has a problem with some add-ins, and this was
one of them. The writer of the article, Tim Anderson, had the problem with a
different program.
When I following his instructions by going to the start button and in the
little box that says "search", typing winword /a, then Word came up in the
safe mode and my mouse worked fine. This was the test he used to make certain
an add-in was probably the problem.
I then closed this version of Word and, following his steps, changed the
SnagIt item in the list of add-ins to a 0 at the end. When I reopened Word in
the normal way (not safe mode), my mouse was back.
Word is still "crashing" when I close it, trying to reboot the program, but
a couple clicks will close that. This is a Microsoft problem, I would assume.
But, at least I have my mouse back!
Good luck, but if you have a problem following his steps (a bit difficult
for non-techie), let me know and I'll try to write them again in "plain"
English. ;>
Delores