Thanks, Charles Kenyon! That did the trick! It turned up the current normal.dot file that had been there, "hiding" in plain sight all the time.

I've learned that my problem was that the Search program for the version of Windows XP that's installed on my hand-me-down laptop doesn't initially search for hidden and system files, even though I have my folder options set to "show hidden files and folders." As I now understand it, in order to search for hidden and system files and folders I must first run a pointless search that will turn up nothing, and only then will I be given an option to repeat the same search to "include hidden and system files."

Thanks again for putting me on the track of that elusive file (and for the opportunity to learn something new about this old operating system).

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"