I think it is possible I am being missunderstood.

The issue is this - with Outlook 2002 (under Vista Home Premium), when I
receive an attachment and I click on that attachment, I receive a message to
either Save or Open the file in question. There is also a grayed out box
where I _could_ have clicked on the mssage )if it were not grayed out),
Always ask when opening this type of file'.

This has nothing per se to do with a *.doc file, I just want to have that
grayed out box not grayed out.