I tried the pattern to object (thats when it crashed the second try) but it just creates the circles touching each other.  I need them not to touch.  I can do this in gimp, but because of their small size they end up square, not round.  I havent tried using a 'period' from a font yet, and came to inkscape to use the pattern tool.  

I created an empty box with the circle inside it and then did the pattern to object, and thats when it crashed.  So, how do you accomplish that?  dots with space around them?

Sorry, I don't really understand your question.  You could attach a picture showing us what you want to do.

Inkscape creates patterns by grouping shapes in a rectangular tile and then repeating this tile inside a path boundary.  When you convert a pattern to objects, Inkscape returns the shapes from one single tile.  It does not convert all the tiles into shapes.  For example, an entire page filled with packed circles will be converted to the four circles used to create the original tile.

This is what I got from your description:

Aha!  When you said "pattern to object" in the original post, you probably need "object to pattern".

Draw a circle.  Draw a larger rectangle on top of the circle.  Set the rectangle fill and stroke to "none".  Select both shapes then [Object > Pattern > Objects to Pattern].  The circle spacing depends on the size of the rectangle.

Even though the Pattern to Object don´t find a Pattern in first place it shouldn´t crash - just saying "no pattern fills in the selection".

I can't reproduce the crash.  Patterns are converted to objects as expected.  If there's no pattern to convert then nothing happens.  

Check Status bar in this case.

I think i put the rectangle, no color under the white dot and .... i cant rem now what i did to join them, and then did the pattern to object thing and thats when it crashed.  Went to bed. lol.  will try again today. thank you.

yay! got it done thank you!