Hello,
Try saying "open the program Word" instead of "open Word," and experiment with other similar phrases.
The earlier versions of Hal triggered any time the lone word "open" was used, and it caused problems such as this:
User: We are having an open house.
Hal: I cannot find the program "house."
User: At the picnic I wore an open shirt.
Hal: I cannot find the program "shirt."
User: The seminar was open to the public.
Hal: I cannot find the program "to the public."
To combat the above problems, the trigger phrases for opening programs in the newer Ultra Hals were made slightly more restrictive.
Try some different phrasing and I think you will get more responsiveness from Hal.
Sincerely,
Don