need help with this scan tool i bought

[novaderrik]

on friday, i bought an older (2000 or so) Matco Determinator (made by OTC) scanner with all the cables and software for most cars from 1980-2003.
when i got it, it would start up fine, but as soon as i tried to hook it up to a car, it decided it didn't want to boot up any more. it goes to the initial startup screen, but then it either freezes there or it turns to a blank orange screen, and it cannot shut it off without disconnecting the battery.
is this a software thing- it sure seems like it- or is it something more serious?
the guy i got it from closed up his small shop a year ago, and he used it all the time up until then. he said that if there were any problems, he'd either refund my money or help me get it going as best as he could. i figure for the $300 i've got into it so far, if it takes a little bit to get it working, it's not a big deal. but if it's fried, then maybe i should get my money back
i'm going to call OTC on monday, but if anyone has ever had this happen to them and knows a free and easy fix, then i'd love to hear it..

[novaderrik]

called the OTC tech line, and the guy said to reformat and reinstall the software from the cd onto the memory card.
did that, and now it boots up and shuts off normally, but when i try to do anything at all with it, it just says "loading" and does nothing. i left it sit like that for over a half hour- no change.
do these things need a while to "get going" after a fresh software install?