G'Day (again) Tommycat,
Please try the following:
Right-Click the Windows Task bar.
Click "Toolbars"
Click "Language bar"
If that is successful then:
Right Click the Language bar (it will be on the task bar)
Click "Restore the Language bar"
Position it somewhere convenient (near the top?) on the
Screen.
Start Word.
At the Right hand end of the Language bar:
Click the tiny Drop Arrow and ensure that "Speak Text"
is ticked
This will put a "Speak" button on the Language bar.
(The "Speak" button may not be available unless the active
window contains a program that supports recognition. That
is why you need to start Word.)
If you select text, clicking "Speak Text" will "read" the
selection, otherwise it will "read" the document beginning at
the current insertion point.
If any of these steps fails, search WINDOWS XP "Help and
Support" (Start>Help and Support) for "text to speech" - see
the article on "Text to speech overview".