New user - keybinding issues

[kaldrenon]

Hi all,

I just downloaded and installed GNU Emacs 21.3 on my WinXP box at work
( using the guide found at 
http://math.claremontmckenna.edu/ALee/emacs/emacs.html
), and I've started the gradual process of learning it, because I've
been doing a bunch of reading lately and emacs sounds like a tool I
want to develop proficiency using. vi* programs sound like they have
their merits, but emacs sounds more my style.

Anyway, I'm still very new, so I'm sorry if this comes as a really
dumb question, but: C-h is supposed to be help-command, but when I
type C-h, it instead kills the character before the cursor. Am I right
about what C-h is supposed to do? If so, why might it be behaving
differently and how can I fix it? (note: I did look through the .emacs
file for any instances of global-set-key and found none)

Many thanks in advance,
Andrew Fallows