Believe it or not, that's a feature. No, really. It's useful in some situations--for instance, if you have a tablet PC.

But if you don't know about the feature and accidentally set it off, it feels like a reformat-and-start-over disaster. Luckily, it's reversible. In XP, Windows 7, or Vista, right-click the desktop and select Graphic Options, then Rotation, then whatever seems appropriate.

Of course, that's easier said than done. Mousing on a screen that's oriented the wrong way is a bit like over-the-shoulder archery using a funhouse mirror. You can't easily tell where the arrow will go.

Actually, you might not have to use your mouse for the solution. Your laptop quite likely has a hot button somewhere for rotating the image. In fact, the problem probably started when you accidentally hit that hot button. Check your manual or online help to find this shortcut. The hot button has got to be easier than figuring out which way to move the mouse so that the arrow moves up. (No! I meant to the right!)