WeatherBob,
Make sure you are the very least running the latest stable version from
HERE.
However, most everyone else has moved on to using one of the beta versions
HERE. So you will most likely get more help with one of these versions.
I myself had problems getting 1.17 running on this laptop and had no choice but to move onto one of the beta versions.
As for FPSC in general, it is great software.
It is just rapidly updating and will take some finess of your own to keep up.
You can and will get all the help you need to get running smooth, as long as you ask the right way. There are quite a few people here that will take time out of there own schedule to help you individually.
Welcome to the world of FPSC.