Bought Windows Live OneCare last week to replace the free version of another Internet security suite I had been using for more than a year. I am not one for conspiracy theory, but right now I could easily be convinced that Bill Gates is the devil. But that's a digression.

I install the Internet security software on Wednesday and go on about my day, working on a story I had due on Friday. All of a sudden, I'm getting an error message that Word can't save my files due to a file permission error. I've never had this message before. Logic suggests that Live OneCare must be interfering with Word. After some really intense anxiety over losing my work, I conceded that the problem wasn't going to fix itself and I call customer service for Microsoft.

Here's a side note: When I bought this software at Staples on Tuesday, my aim was to get the McAfee Internet Security Suite. Then a sales guy talked me into this Microsoft version, saying, "It's Microsoft, so you know it's not going to interfere with Microsoft programs." The logical part of me thought he was brilliant and wondered why I didn't think of that before. The eerily intuitive part of me, though, thought this software was going to cause problems with other Microsoft programs as a ploy to get me (or you, or other unsuspecting souls) to spend more money on their products. Still, I ignored what my gut feeling was screaming at me.

Back to me on the telephone with Microsoft customer support, I explain the problem and the guy tells me that I'm not having a Live OneCare problem. He tells me I'm having a Word problem. Well, yes, it's a problem with Word but it is being caused by Live OneCare. So he asks me what version of Word I'm using. It's 2002. Then he explains that the free customer service for Word 2002 expired as of last year. He can transfer me to another technician, though, who would be happy to help me...FOR $50. I didn't even pay that much for the software!

My earlier negative thoughts about the program came back to bite me. I was supposed to give them $50 for someone to tell me that I need to spend another $400 or whatever it is to upgrade to a newer version of Office. I explained the absurdity of this to Mr. Customer Service. But I was told that my having Word problems on the day I installed Live OneCare was simply a coincidence.

Yeah.

The next night, I bought the original McAfee software I had intended to purchase. I uninstalled Live OneCare Friday morning, installed McAfee, and haven't had a problem with Word since.

Now that is a coincidence.

Following through on my original thought about customer loyalty failing: If I can find someone who is willing to stand by their product, admit when there's a problem, and work with me to fix it, I am a customer for life. Yet I so rarely find a business or product worth being loyal to.

For now, the next computer I have built just might be a Mac.