Hello. I'm sorry to hear of these difficulties. I too come from a Windows background (7 not 10 though!) and also have installed LL on my machines. I am a little confused as to why you have had to re-install the OS several times? Usually a software program install that isn't successful or that has errors will only affect that particular piece of software, not the OS as as a whole. However I do realize you have some considerable computer experience in general, so there must be a reason that you were re-installing the OS.
I too found the software installation aspect of LL a little confusing when I first came to LL... until I realized I don't have to do it by command-line. I hate to think how much time I wasted typing in command-line commands when I could have just used the point-and-click software installer that comes pre-bundled with LL, called Synaptic Package Manager (more details below if you haven't used it much). Now I use Synaptic for almost everything I install, or at least it's my option of first choice. I checked just now though and Synaptic does NOT have Seamonkey, so I realize that if you really need Seamonkey that you would have to do a manual install of the Seamonkey software.
Here are a few tips to hopefully help you out in the next few days. Perhaps they are things you already know - sorry if this is the case. These were things I did NOT already know in my first times in LL and I'd managed to trip myself up a couple of times at first:
1. In case you're not sure how to access the Synaptic Package Manager (it's not immediately obvious), go to start menu -> System -> install/remove software. That is the Synaptic Package Manager. If you'd like more info on how to use Synaptic, you can find it in Start Menu -> Favorites->Help Manual and then navigate to the section on Installing Software. When you open Synaptic, you can select software you want to install by point-and-click, and then it does everything for you. As mentioned, this won't work for Seamonkey because isn't on Synaptic, but there is an impressively huge library of other software that you can look at and pick from.
2. If you have a particular reason for Seamonkey, that's totally understandable. However, if you're just looking for a good stable alternative browser option for your machine, I can recommend Opera (I'm using it right now from my LL machine). You can install it from your Synaptic Package Manager as mentioned above. Correction: Opera is not available normally through Synaptic. I think I only see it in my Synaptic because I had installed it from other means.
Anyhow, anything you install through Synaptic is just automagically 'there' on your machine after clicking the button to install the desired package (browser software will appear in Start menu->Internet). Another browser option is Chromium, which is actually slightly different to Google Chrome: Chromium is the open-source equivalent of Chrome. They appear almost identical from a user point of view. Chromium is available via Synaptic.
3. If for some reason you wind up downloading software direct from its home page (I did this with Opera), then it will wind up in your Downloads folder by default, typically as a .deb file and with a box-package icon. If you want to then install the software, then RIGHT-CLICK on its icon and select "open as administrator". It won't work if you just try to open it as 'you', it'll only install if you open it as administrator. This is typically how I download and install anything that I can't find on Synaptic. This way, no command-line is needed and I can get the software I want. Yes there are a few rare exceptions where you have to wind up using the command line during at least some of the installation process. (Sophos was one of these for me, although it had an installation guide that I followed and it worked fine).
4. Generally, the more I'm using LL the more I'm finding the GUI way of doing things! I almost never use the command line any more (as it takes longer to type everything). The only exception is if I'm doing some bash scripting or something like that where I more or less HAVE to use command-line stuff. So, it is possible - with a few exceptions - to use LL without having to wind up doing DOS-like stuff at the command line.
Again, apologies if this is stuff you already know. I'm just trying to cover all bases to get you helped out, since we both come from Windows backgrounds. I'm hoping other more experienced users than myself will be along soon too and will be able to help you more also.
I too found the software installation aspect of LL a little confusing when I first came to LL... until I realized I don't have to do it by command-line. I hate to think how much time I wasted typing in command-line commands when I could have just used the point-and-click software installer that comes pre-bundled with LL, called Synaptic Package Manager (more details below if you haven't used it much). Now I use Synaptic for almost everything I install, or at least it's my option of first choice. I checked just now though and Synaptic does NOT have Seamonkey, so I realize that if you really need Seamonkey that you would have to do a manual install of the Seamonkey software.
Here are a few tips to hopefully help you out in the next few days. Perhaps they are things you already know - sorry if this is the case. These were things I did NOT already know in my first times in LL and I'd managed to trip myself up a couple of times at first:
1. In case you're not sure how to access the Synaptic Package Manager (it's not immediately obvious), go to start menu -> System -> install/remove software. That is the Synaptic Package Manager. If you'd like more info on how to use Synaptic, you can find it in Start Menu -> Favorites->Help Manual and then navigate to the section on Installing Software. When you open Synaptic, you can select software you want to install by point-and-click, and then it does everything for you. As mentioned, this won't work for Seamonkey because isn't on Synaptic, but there is an impressively huge library of other software that you can look at and pick from.
2. If you have a particular reason for Seamonkey, that's totally understandable. However, if you're just looking for a good stable alternative browser option for your machine, I can recommend Opera (I'm using it right now from my LL machine). You can install it from your Synaptic Package Manager as mentioned above. Correction: Opera is not available normally through Synaptic. I think I only see it in my Synaptic because I had installed it from other means.
Anyhow, anything you install through Synaptic is just automagically 'there' on your machine after clicking the button to install the desired package (browser software will appear in Start menu->Internet). Another browser option is Chromium, which is actually slightly different to Google Chrome: Chromium is the open-source equivalent of Chrome. They appear almost identical from a user point of view. Chromium is available via Synaptic.
3. If for some reason you wind up downloading software direct from its home page (I did this with Opera), then it will wind up in your Downloads folder by default, typically as a .deb file and with a box-package icon. If you want to then install the software, then RIGHT-CLICK on its icon and select "open as administrator". It won't work if you just try to open it as 'you', it'll only install if you open it as administrator. This is typically how I download and install anything that I can't find on Synaptic. This way, no command-line is needed and I can get the software I want. Yes there are a few rare exceptions where you have to wind up using the command line during at least some of the installation process. (Sophos was one of these for me, although it had an installation guide that I followed and it worked fine).
4. Generally, the more I'm using LL the more I'm finding the GUI way of doing things! I almost never use the command line any more (as it takes longer to type everything). The only exception is if I'm doing some bash scripting or something like that where I more or less HAVE to use command-line stuff. So, it is possible - with a few exceptions - to use LL without having to wind up doing DOS-like stuff at the command line.
Again, apologies if this is stuff you already know. I'm just trying to cover all bases to get you helped out, since we both come from Windows backgrounds. I'm hoping other more experienced users than myself will be along soon too and will be able to help you more also.
Using Linux Lite for everything now. I put it on my desktop and my laptop. Woohoo!