I sure appreciate your help. The problems seem to be stubborn, though, and if you're beginning to suspect hardware issues and/or operating system problems, I think I'll bring the computer in for a local tech to have a look at. They can do a full backup and wipe the system and reinstall the OS, if need be, change the hard drive, as well, if it turns out to have problems. I'd be nervous attempting to troubleshoot and repair hardware and/or OS issues on my own, even with you there supporting me remotely. Once again, I thank you for your time and efforts. All the best.
Carl