Are any other pages or programs slow in loading?
Have you done a disk clean up and defrag recently or is this overdue?
How old is the computer?

all the other programs open just fine, not slow at all only the microsoft word. I do a defrag clean up regular maintence each week. The computer is 1 1/2 years old.

The software is MS 2000 a rather old version. I might add that my brother just bought a brand new computer two weeks ago. And while helping him reinstall all his software I discovered his MS word also opens just as slow. His is also the MS 2000. Is it because the software may not be supported by Windows XP?

MS Office 2000 (which includes Word) works perfectly with XP.

Since the behaviour occurs on the new computer as well as your original one I did a Google search and found numerous reports of this problem.

Could it be that Word is trying to connect to your network?

Had the problem only existed on your own computer then my first suggestion would have been:

Assuming that you have the Word installation CD available (just in case it is needed), then I would start by opening Word, click on Help and then click Detect and Repair from the drop down menu.

Don't go this route if the CD isn't handy otherwise Word might stop working completely until you find it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Some Google links to solve Word problems

I also use Word from MS Office 2000 on an XP. I'm not having the problem but was interested in solutions. I notice that one user (in the links provided by bee4mee) found success by opening Word, clicking on Help, and selecting Detect and Repair.

I will check out the help and if necessary reinstall it. As, I said when I did a new install on my brothers brand new computer it does the same thing. Maybe its time to bite the bullet and buy the newest MS Office. I will see what help says. Thank you for your input.

I went to MS help the help did its thing I had to put in the disk as it asked. Unfortunately it did not change anything. Still takes 20 seconds for any size of documents to open.

Again thanks for your help.