can someone help?

Ok I am having the oddest problem. firstly I am running blender 2.4.9 on windows 7 (64 bit).
I created a number of different files successfully over 24 hours and exported obj files successfully in that time. Then this morning I went to create a new model so I selected new. It asked me if I wanted to erase all so I clicked on it to confirm. When I did it switched it to 3d view window with a previous model I had been working on. (I had been in user preference window) Everytime I clicked on new trying to get a new empty window it just keeps showing me this model. So I tried the following.

I restarted the computer. When I did blender had been completely wiped (as far as I could tell not under search and not under control panel) although my files were still on computer for models I created. So I reinstaleld blender. When I did it wanted me to replace the files already there so was blender there somewhere? I am not sure!

When I got it all up and running again I went to press new under file and again it just shows me the same model as before!!! Very frustrating.

The only way I can get a fresh new window to work in now is to go under user preferenes, file and then select load factory settings. But even after doing this if I try to select new again it goes back and shows me that same old model!!!

does anyone have any idea what is going on? Please help! Thanks,
Heather

after you load factory settings, press CTRL+U to “save default settings”
or you can just delete your B.blend in your blender folder

saving a file is NOT the same as saving your user defaults. When you make a model, you need to save a File. pressing ctrl-u to save your defaults takes a snapshot of the current session and uses it as the startup when you start blender or do a file->new.

Thank you both. I was just reading some info. on the screens and how they work in my blender for dummies book and it was slowly dawning on me that this must be the issue! Thank you for taking the time to respond! Heather