Need a Computer Whiz (Two questions about Word)

If anyone could help me out on this, I would be forever grateful.  I have an Inspiron E1705 with Microsoft Windows Media Edition.  It includes Microsoft Workssuite 2006.

 

ISSUE ONE:

I have my class notes saved on my notebook computer.  I have them stored in a folder with a shortcut on my desktop.  When I double-click to open up the notes, however, sometimes it will give me the message of "it's a read only" or something like that. (I'm always so freaked out at seeing the message that I just click the "x").

How in the world is this file somehow a "read only?"  Does it matter that I have the file saved on my flashdrive (exact same file, exact same name - sort of as a back-up)?

Mind you, I would not worry as much if it happened EVERY time, as that might be a problem just with that file.  However, it only happens occassionally, with the sporadic nature of it causing me worry.

 

ISSUE TWO: 

Where do I start.  So before I close down my class notes in a Word Document, I will hit "Control + S"  Well then when I hit the "x" at the top of the word document, a message box appears from Microsoft informing me that there was a problem, Microsoft Word needs to close, and proceeds to start recovering the document I was trying to close.  (Nota Bene:  I found out the hard way that if you don't want to recover it because you think, "Oh, I just hit Control+S before the message appeared," you will NOT get back the most recent changes to the document.)  That is very frustrating as if these notes are gone I will be .

 

I don't know why Microsoft Word hates me all of a sudden.  Again, any assistance with this problem would be very appreciated.  If you need more explicit information on what is happening, I would be more than happy to post.

 

Thanks again.