Well, I was hoping I could reply and thank everyone profusely and say everything is rosy. Unfortunately...
Apparently some Free Download Manager has gotten hold of my computer and thinks I would much rather download some of their software than what I was really looking for. Not only have I had trouble with Silverlight, but I also cannot download the latest Adobe reader software or a new driver for my scanner. It makes no difference if I execute the installer from the net or download the exe file and then run it. When I cancel the install I wind up connected to freedownloadscenter.com. I've sent them notes, but of course that's like whispering in the wind. I can't find anything in the installed program list that looks like it might be the culprit.
I surely would appreciate any help. Thanks. -- Ham