Thanks Clam:
That got me past the registraton part but now I get a fatal error:
Interactive 3D renderer failed. Check device settings using the H command line option (whatever that is).
I tried all 3 options (open-gl, ect).
This entire move from Florida to Tennessee has been a mess right from the start.
1. The move cost 3 times what I thought ($800 alone for diesel).
2. Couldn't even open a checking or savings account untill we both had TN drivers licenses.
3. Wife couldn't pass the vision test and had to get new glasses and contacts. $760 worth (she is legally blind without them - can't see farther then about 6 inches).
4. Had thought I could setup my computer and at least make things via Gmax and test in Trainz for the 6 to 8 weeks I would be off line but didn't happen.
I turned my computer off, waited a few minutes for any capacitors to discharge in the power supply, unplugged it, wrapped it in a heavy blanket, carefully put it in our GMC conversion van for the trip, about 10 days later (after we got into the little rental place while we looked for a house to buy), reconnected the bare bones system (computer, monitor, keyboard, and mouse), and turned it on. NADA!!! It couldn't even find the boot partition.
After about a week fiddling with this-n-that I called the Alienware help desk. According to them if you leave the computer unplugged from the wall for more then 4 or 5 days an internal battery runs down and and effectivly renders the machine inoperative. Thats gotta be total BS since it would mean they could never ship a new one to a remote and difficult to get to location. Weren't very interested at all once I mentioned it was 5 years old (and out of warrenty).
I finally bit the bullet and re-installed windows which got the computer running (sort of) but natch all my programs and stuff were gone. I did lose a little Gmax/Trainz stuff but quite minimal as I back up everything on 3 external hard drives.
5. AT&T gent was by yesterday and got our telephone (landline) and U-verse DLS hooked up - hence this forum thread. TV guy will be here Tuesday to connect that. Haven't seen TV in 2 months. I didn't even know who won the world series until about 10 days ago (really).
6. At the moment I can't figure out where to access e-mail, have lost all my e-mail addresses, have no firewall that I know of (I use McAfee), can't get Gmax to work, have to reinstall TRS2004, 2006, 2010, 2012, and T:ANE then re-install all the hot fixes and service packs (SP1 - o-joy, lol). Looks like I have about a dozen PM's pending - some from close to 2 months ago so those are gonna have to wait untill I can get all the above mess straightened out. I was going to buy a new computer after new years but might have to bump that up a bit. Don't wanna but might hafta (and I'd be lying like a rug if I said I wouldn't really like to have a new one, lol).
On the good side we did find a nice little house (2000 sq ft - 3 bdrm - 2 bth) - oversized 2 car garage) in a nice neighborhood close to everything. Less then half the size of what we had in Florida (4800 sq ft - 8 bdrm 3 bth). Everything is incredibly cheaper up here. Home owners ins is about $560 a year - was $3200 in FL. Property taxes $1000 compared to $3700. Gas far less - I've seen it as low as $1.71 a gal. Sales tax is higher tho (9.5% compared to 7.0% in FL).
O-well - - - back to banging my head against the computer wall (trying to get anything to work).
Ben