OE6.0 Attachment can't be opened?

Having trouble opening some paperclipped attachments. The relentless "This program has performed an illegal operation and will shut down, if the problem persists contact the program vendor". Shows up after left clicking "open it" and in pop up window marked "word pad". Its never really bothered me that much except for the fact that if attachments are sent in the form of "Acrobat Reader" it opens fine.
My windows 98 second, OE 6.0, is too picky.....How can I open attachments in all formats?

 

What is the file extension of the attachments that don't open?
Should be something like file.doc or file.xls, etc.

 

It reads with the word pad icon to the left : "Paypercall--DirectDepositForm.doc(57.5kb)": and below the "illegal operation" phrase reads as follows:

WORDPAD caused an invalid page fault in
module MSWRD832.CNV at 0167:0140f6d5.
Registers:
EAX=00000001 CS=0167 EIP=0140f6d5 EFLGS=00010216
EBX=00400000 SS=016f ESP=0119f94c EBP=0119f960
ECX=0040effc DS=016f ESI=0040efff FS=51a7
EDX=00000000 ES=016f EDI=0143bf38 GS=1246
Bytes at CS:EIP:
66 8b 1e 83 c6 02 0f b7 cb 8d 45 fc 50 51 e8 38
Stack dump:
0040e240 00000000 0040dec6 0041dfb6 00000008 0119f988 014125b4 0040dfb8 0000fffe 00000002 00000000 00000000 00000000 000001ac 0040dec6 0119f9cc

 

The reason I came to the "Tech Support Guy" was to avoid microsoft support like the PLAGUE.
What are you saying ....I can't change my attachments to the format that opens the doc. without having to crawl back to microsoft at $35 a Q & A?

 

Sorry for the panic attack....I was just there at the link.
Its reasuring the symtoms but I'm not sure I follow the cure.
Its telling me to open it , which I can't do, and go to files, which I can't access, and change to rich format.
I tried looking for word pad on word office 2000 but I get other choices ie., corel..., word perfect 9, quatro 9 , corelperfect 9...every other name except word pad 2000.
But I can't argue with the symtoms...when I scan wiz a doc in word pad for desk top, much less email the darn thing, it comes out in arabic for font and gibberish.
Appreciate the help DERECK.

 

Went to word perfect 9...File...open...look in "my documents"
found the dern thing...clicked open and out came "UNKNOWN
FILE FORMAT"
Just for the record all of the above is called "navigating"?

 

Isn't there a way to add some sort of compatibility to open other formats in Wordperfect. Like xls , doc, files.
Not real sure as I don't have WordPerfect.

 

Derek,
I thank you too much but when I clicked on the link error 404 popped up. When I typed it on the address bar, completing the term "download" in your ".com/downloa..../wd97" I received the following:
Office Tools on the Web - page not found
Sorry, there is no office.microsoft.com Web page matching your request.
This page may no longer exist, or you may have typed the address incorrectly.
For information about Microsoft Office services and products, or to find the information you want, return to the Office Tools on the Web site.
http://office.microsoft.com

 

It worked....I did it, well if it wasn't for you DEREK I would have never opened it. I'm in shock, I followed instructions correctly, and it worked ....It opened the attachment.
By the way the first link worked.
Thanking you TOO MUCH AGAIN
VeriChipped(An implanted Tracking device)
Next item I require, if its not too much trouble to ask, is to teach me how to program software.