sorry if i gave the impression i expected a sooner reply - there's time difference as well!

i already tried the download 3 times yesterday, so am reluctant to go that route again for now.

do you think it would make a difference if i took the laptop to a wifi place [eg cafe] & did the download there? Thia may be a very silly question but i'm thinking the wifi may provide a more constant signal or something!

i definitely chose the version for Vista.

i did go to java help & Windows help & wrote down & follwed exact instructions. it took about an hour each time.

it's very frustrating for me because i now have 2 computers but still no chat.

the laptop is great for lists though.

Mel