Please help.....

On May 23, 2013, I was able to receive, Open, Download, or Save As any safe/secure attachment (.jpg, pdf, .doc) I received via email.

On May 29, 2013, I attempted to download & save a .pdf and the "Option bar/window" stating Open, Save or Cancel came up at the bottom of my screen but when I clicked on Save As; nothing happened and everything froze up. 

Now yesterday (May 30), I tried again to download the same .pdf and NOTHING happened!  I didn't even get the "Option Bar" popping up.  I even tried to go back to the picture attachments I downloaded and saved last week on May 22, 2013 and nothing happened.  I couldn't download the attachment that I was previously able to download last week.

Please help....if I can't get this to work soon I am going to be forced to get a different email account which I really would hate to do since I have been with "Hotmail" for years.  I have been reading through all the different threads and tried everything I have found that has been suggested but clearly I am still missing something.  I have even enlisted the help of my little brother and partner (whom are much more computer savy than I am) and none of us can figure out what has happened.  Thanks and I look forward to receiving a response soon.