I,m new to all this but can anyone tell me about the real player I have with Windows 98/2 (which was recently updated via Microsoft..It drops down when a video attachment appears but nothing happens?..when I go to 'open file'in drop down menue ..what file is it asking me to open?.If I type in the video attachment (eg)(Video/mpeg)Missouri.it tells me that the file is not recognised.(2) where is real player stored or does it only activate when on line..(3)Is there a better source for downloading mpeg?..

I'm confused by what you're saying. I really don't mean to be rude but using the odd full stop and reading through what you're about to post helps enormously.
It sounds like you've installed Microsoft's Media Player which has snatched your Real Player file association and now opens whenever you click on a website's Real Player file. And for some reason Media Player isn't working properly.
The way to fix this in Windows is complicated so instead just go to www.realplayer.com and download the latest free version of Real Player again. I know you already have it but this will 'fix' the file assocation.
To play MPEGs, the best player is probably QuickTime - go to www.download.com and search for it.