Thanks for your replies and suggestions.
Sorry, but I'm not familiar with C or C++. I used to programme with Fortran, Basic and Unix, but by the names I have listed you can tell that was years ago.
The example sketches aren't working, and that's the problem. Not even the simple "Blink" sketch. The format is accepted, but there's always an error when uploading. No, the Arduino Uno didn't come equipped with "Blink" already installed.
Incidentally, where do I find that sticky post you mentioned Steve ?
Thanks,