wife will leave without PTLE

[graveleye]

I am new to all this. I cannot even get past the opening screen to open PTLE. I have installed the hardware and the drivers successfully and now I am filled with lots of questions.
here is my 'puter setup and i am sure the snickering will start as soon as I say the word "Compaq AMD" but daaamn it's been such a good system and there has GOT to be a way to make this work.
Compaq presario 7AP135 7000 series
128 mb mem
30 gig HD
The hardware is installed and seems to be working, although I cannot get the pro-tools program to open.
1st - there seems to be a problem with the auto-start on the disc itself (PACE?), but I got the program installed on my system fine. After I reboot, it NEVER asks me for registration first - it just gets hung up...for hours and hours. This is rediculous.
2nd - after rebooting my computer, when I try to open PTLE, it will either hang up enlessly, or it will get to DAE on the load-in bar and freeze, or give me the dreaded DAE 9162 error message....click ok and PT goes away....WTF??!! I cant even get the damn thing to start so I can begin to tweak my system.
Here are my questions:
-Is this my computer? is it that crucial for compatibility? I have NEVER had a program that just WOULDN'T run on my computer. If so this is a crock! And no - I dont care about which system is better. I just want pro-tools and I want to record - I dont want philosophical opinions.
-Is my soundblaster card interfering somehow?
-should I try to build a new hardware profile for startup?
-Will the breakout box hardware work with another sound recording program like cubase or whatever, so that maybe i can record in the meantime without pro-tools? At least this could keep me occupied until pro-tools gets a fix for my system.
-or should I just take the whole thing back and return it and try something else?
The bottom line is that I really want to use pro-tools, but at the moment I cannot affford a whole new computer jsut for this, when it seems like my fresh system should work just fine. Please help!! I must preserve my sanity, my musical career, and my marriage (she's an artist too and is ready to do some writing)
I am a grown man and am not quite ready to fall on the floor screaming and crying. help me someone...this is a nightmare.

[ReniuR]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by graveleye:
-should I try to build a new hardware profile for startup?
-Will the breakout box hardware work with another sound recording program like cubase or whatever.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Try making a different hardware profile (with everything disabled that you can get away with: system sounds/sound blaster/usb/modems etc...).

You should be able to use the 001 hardware with other programs (at least to see if it's working properly).

Some more system specs would help us determine the possible problem.

-What ver of Windows are you running?

-What other programs do you have running with protools?

More ram will also help you with protools (I doubt that's what's causing this problem, tho).

Let us know how it goes.

[graveleye]

wow, thanks for the quick response! I am running win 98 se.
Well, I really havent gotten the program to even finish loading before I get and error or a lockup, whether other programs are running in the background or not. I have cut it all the way down to where the only things that are running on the system are explorer and systray and still the same results.
I am planning on doubling up on memory, but like you, I am not sure this is the problem.
I might add that I am a broadband cable subscriber, and there is the network card in there...that could have something to do with it from what I have read, but i am not sure.

[ReniuR]

I run my network card with protools, and it doesn't make a difference to me.

What kind of motherboard/processor does your comp have? It sounds to me like a chipset issue.

[graveleye]

http://www.hargadon.com/specials/pdfs/7AP135.pdf

here is a spec sheet i just found. Forgive my ignorance about chip-sets and so forth. I am an old analog guy trying to get a leg up.

[JMS40]

Well, it appears your system has a K-6 processor... which is not supported by Digi. Use your Compaq serial number to see if you can find your chipset.

[graveleye]

I will check that out when i get home. ( i am at the day-job)
Well this is what I was afraid of. I suppose I will just take it back and return it. Do you have any other ideas? After this purchase I am strapped for cash and can't shell out much more. I am not completely attached to pro-tools as of yet (although I was hoping to become addicted). I realize that PT is perhaps the best, but i need to record - are there any other software/hardware bundles that would work with my system?

[JMS40]

Like ReniuR, I've had great success with a P3 system, too.
Just a heads-up, though... the last two Compaq's I worked on used proprietary cases that were not compatable with standard motherboards. Might be looking at a new case, too.

[JMS40]

I've done some searching on the Compaq site and have found some good news.
I was wrong about your processor.
You have an Athlon 750 and the board is upgradable to 1.4. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
For the life of me I can't find your chipset info, although it's most likely VIA flavor.
(Compaq's web site well represent's their other ass backwards practices...)
Hopefully you can use your serial number and get this info so that we can figure out if you are having configuration issues or compatability problems.
Keep talking... [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[graveleye]

this may have an even happier ending. I just talked with one of my brothers and his company is scrapping some computer gear and he is bringing the good stuff home to me to scavenge. I plan on buying the motherboard and a decent hd, but still will come out less than $200 invested. Thanks again for all the help and encouragement. Hopefull this time next week I will have something for folks to listen to. Thanks again!!