sorry i was in a really crappy mood when i first posted this up - have calmed down a bit now. long story but trying to handle a lot of stress at home atm.
anyway. just put up all the details asked for and got a bloody 404 page didnt i so i'm just going to, for now, try reinstalling the basic version and see if that helps.
i'm writing this without having read anyone's reply posts yet as i wanted to make sure i said this before reading any defensive posts and getting riled!
i'll put up the relevant details when i've dealt with these problems at home - probably in about a week or so. i do really appreciate any help, it's just really frustrating when you can't work out a problem and suddenly you find you've got about 15 windows open, not knowing where to look next.