Some minor PC irritations

Hello all
This is my 1st time on this forum.

I have recently rec'd a new XP machine(SP2) with Microsoft office 2003.
Some issues with XP I have sorted out but there are some nagging me particularly with the usage of Microsoft office 2003.

1 Each time I start up 'MS word', there's a "getting started" window pane on the right side of the screen. How does one get rid of this ?

2 Outlook 2003 looks quiet different from outlook 2000.Is there any switch with which I can get the outlook 2000 look and feel back ?

3 I have switched over to 'classic windows mode' on my XP.However on the explorer window, hovering the mouse on top of directories,makes them automatically 'underlined' and highlighted. Anyway I can get rid of this 'extra feature'.

4 Each time I put a cd/DVd/portable disc etc. inside , a pop up window comes up with 'what does windows want to do for you' with 8 options. I want to be left alone
i've gone through the 'auto play' tab to tell it to leave me alone but after new boots it still resorts back to it's own devices. Any concrete way to get rid of this time consuming window. ?

Enough for today

and thanks for any Information

 

Thanks Halo, a very talented answer

 

Oh yes, they surely did
and a thanks again for that initially 'passed' question,but revisited.