Word and default language settings...

Captcha, have you tried this:

To change language preferences by using the Language Preferences tool

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Office, and then point to Microsoft Office 2010 Tools.
2. Click Microsoft Office 2010 Language Preferences.
3. At the bottom of the Choose Editing Languages section, in the language list box, select the language that you want to be available for editing, and then click the Add button. Repeat this step for each editing language that you want to add.
4. In the Choose Editing Languages section, select the language that you most often use for Office applications and documents, and then click Set as Default.
5. In the Choose Display and Help Languages section, under Display Language, select the language that you want to use to view Office application buttons and tabs, and then click Set as Default.
6. Under Help Language, select the language that you want to use to view Office application Help, and then click Set as Default.

And here's where I sound insane again... I really can't find any mention of Microsoft Office, or even just Word, on my start menu. I can see lots of other programs, including Microsoft Works, but I swear, Office just isn't on there. When I look at the icon I use to open Word, it talks about a "Virtualization Handler" - is this just weird jargon, or does it actually mean something?

But I can get to the commands mentioned in your points 3-6, (by going through the Options selection on the File tab once Word is open) and I did all that. Then I exited the program, and came back in. The settings were still where I left them (US English), but the language setting for my new document shifted right back to the Windows default (Cdn. English). It seems like that overrides the Word preferences.


ETA: Okay, wait. I wasn't able to change the 'help language' settings, because it was ghosted. There was a 'why is this unavailable' link, so I clicked it, and found "After installing a Microsoft Office Language Pack, you cannot change Help for a program to display in the language of the Language Pack. Help always remains in the language of the Click-to-Run product." I don't really know what's meant by a Language Pack. Does Cdn. English count?

I write manuscripts in Spanish sometimes, and what I do is go to the Review section and set "Spanish International Sort" as my default language for that particular document.

I'm in Canada and I use UK English and grammar (slight difference in punctuation). I also found I had to change my keyboard to UK English. If you find you have to do that, too, let me know because I think I still have the link somewhere around.

download OpenOffice or LibreOffice for free and you won't have the problem!

Open Office has its own set of problems, though. Like it doesn't work as well when my MS gets sent back from the editor, who worked in Word -- the Track Changes system doesn't seem compatible with OO. If I weren't sharing with others, I'd be all for it.