I know! It's frustrating when you are at a stand-still! My software installed just fine, but was useless in the beginning as well. This is exciting software when it works, but it seems that it has to be tweaked for everyone's personal use.
I'm not a Tech Guru, but the fact that you can see the menus, etc. after installing (twice) is an OK sign. It might be an issue with the Magic Quotes. (I remember Ray mentioning this when he was working on mine.)
Maybe try searching the threads for anything mentioning this – however, opening a brand new forum thread might be the best bet!
Good Luck – sorry I didn't have a simple answer. Hopefully the WA Team can help you!
Rachel