Problem with Pro Tools SE

[Left of summer]

Before I start I'm gunna say hi guys!
I'm new to pro tools and this forum so please forgive me if I go on!

Ok, here is my frustrating problem :/

I recently brought an M audio Fast Track interface that come with pro tools se!
Now I had a few problems setting it up as I kept on getting the error 7 message, but thankfully I fixed that and finally got pro tools up and running!
Ok so problem 1- how the hell do I record my guitar using the interface through to pro tools?
Problem 2- if I play a loop it crackles like mad and sometimes I get that dae 4075 error ( I may have that incorrect but I'm sure you know what error message I'm talking about) sorry guys!
And problem 3- it now has decided to freeze where not even the mouse likes to move!!!!
I'm getting angry and frustrated with it now!
And I have a HP laptop with 3 Gb of ram and over 250 gb hard drive space, and my processor is AMD (is that right)? Like I keep saying I'm sorry I'm trying to give you the best knowledge I know lol! Please help if you can, I have songs I need to finish really urgently
Thanks guys for ya time

[Left of summer]

Please someone help

[YYR123]

Look for the thread at the top of the forum

It says "help us help you"

Follow the information in that thread and that's a good start

Then about question one - YouTube is your friend search that

Make sure all the avid recommendations are done for you and your computer - really do them all

[Left of summer]

Ok man thank you :) ill do all I can in the morning
Thanks again dude!

[Left of summer]

Ok so I've fixed it, up to a point!
Now during recording and playback.... There is a really horrible distorted crackling sound! Sometimes it stops and sounds great but then comes back again! I've exported a recording and it sounds fine! It just happens during recording through pro tools or playback through pro tools!
Any suggestions???
I was told its good to have the recording save to an external hardrive I stead of directly to the laptops hard drive!
Please help folks

[YYR123]

Originally Posted by YYR123

Look for the thread at the top of the forum

It says "help us help you"

Follow the information in that thread and that's a good start

Then about question one - YouTube is your friend search that

Make sure all the avid recommendations are done for you and your computer - really do them all

Two drives is a necessity

Operating system drive and then your recording target drive - then Another drive for samples -

[Left of summer]

Guys..... I really need ya help! I spent a lot of money on the equipment I have right now, and it's still doing this awful distorted kind of fuzzy sound when I record or playback, even when I don't record and just listen to it to see how it sounds it happens, I mean it stops for a bit and sounds perfectly clear but then comes back it's really bugging me

[YYR123]

So you never answer the question are you using two dedicated hard drive?

[Left of summer]

No I don't have an external hardrive, at the moment I can't get one, but I'm like almost certain that wont fix the problem!
If I had an external hard drive what do I do just save the songs straight on to that instead of my laptops hardrive?

[YYR123]

So Mr. left yeah it doesn't look like you have read the computer optimizations that are required for ProTools


So you have one hard drive that contains your operating system for your computer and install ProTools on that -

then you have another hard drive that you save your sessions to -
the record target if you will


then also recommended to have a third hard drive to save your samples too


That coupled with the other recommended optimizations that avid recommends are really the building blocks to having a positive experience inside of pro tools