General :: Viewing A Doc Using Vista/Word 2000 That Was Created Using Mint8?

I am new to Linux, these type of forums and open source programs other than Firefox. I am not sure that this is the proper place to ask this question. If not, I apologize and ask that you please direct me to the proper location. I look forward to being able to leave MS but would like to have documents that I create viewable by the Windows Word programs.

I am using Linux Mint 8 as a dual boot setup with Vista on my Presario lap top. When I am operating with Mint8 and create a simple doc and save it as a word 2000 document and place it in a folder I can locate and open it using Mint 8 very nicely. But, when I try to access it using Vista and Word 2000 it does not appear in the folder when I try to view "all files". Conversely, Not all of the documents, which were created using windows and already exist in my folders, jpeg files for sure, are visible when I look in a folder using Mint8 and try to view "all files". I did add to a doc that was created by Vista/Word using Mint8 Open office and those edits were viewable using either Vista/Word 2000 or Mint8 open office.