Computer setup: why do all programs work but one?

I had to reformat and reinstall everything, including Windows 2000, during the past week. So far so good, everything has installed and runs perfectly well, except for one program, and its variations. I cannot run my own copy of Adobe Audition, a sound recording program. I can install any one of Cool Edit 2000, Cool Edit Pro 1 or 2, and/or Audition 1 or 1.5. They all work through installation. When I click on the desktop icon or go to Start/Programs and select the application, it only gets as far as the splash screen, and disappears.

I thought that at first Windoze Genuine (Dis)Advantage was preventing them from operating, but I found an utility and it says that GA is not on my system. Well, tonight, on a hunch, I discovered that Audition will open up in Safe Mode, although I can’t do anything with it there. As soon as I restart in normal mode, the program will not come up. I disabled the auto-anti-virus scanning during installation, and it still won’t work. I’m stumped. Anyone have any ideas?

Audition is my main tool. Without it, I’m lost. To get version 2, I would have to buy Windows XP. I’m not ready for that yet, considering that all Cool Edit products, up to and including Audition, have worked on all of my computers daily for seven years. What could be different now?

No real idea, but why wouldn’t you jump onto to Adobe support and ask?

Already did that. They don’t know what the problem is. They’ve never seen it happen before.