Cut/copy-and-paste problem in Word 2003

[Istariel]

My Word 2003 program (running on an XP Pro operating system with an
up-to-date One-Care) seemed to be working fine earlier today, but suddenly it
has started doing something I've never seen before.

When I select an item I want to paste elsewhere, replacing text, I can
cut/copy it as I wish, but when I select what I want to paste over and tell
the program to do so, the item I want to paste is pasted IN FRONT of what I
selected to paste OVER, moving what I wanted to paste over to the right.
This forces me into having to do a SECOND step of deleting what I wanted to
paste over to achieve what I wanted to do in the first place.

Have I inadvertantly pressed a key or key combination that changes the
parameters of pasting an item? Is there any way to fix this and make the
cut/copy-and-paste work as it was before when it would paste over what I
wanted?

 

[DeanH]

Tools, Options, Edit, check the box for "Typing replaces selection".
Hope this helps
DeanH

 

[Istariel]

I don't know how I did it, but that box was unchecked (I think I just hit a
wrong key combo and didn't realize it). However, it did fix the problem.
THANK YOU very much!