Hello @bttab I understand your frustration. We try to make the upgrade process as simple, and straightforward as possible. When updating and upgrading, it is always good to check the hardware and software requirements as listed here.
Also, we are encouraging all SketchUp 8 users to update, if they can, based on some errors and changes as explained in this forum thread here.
I am sorry you have run into issues. You can find some older SketchUp Pro downloads here. It would be great if you can send me some details so I can figure out what SketchUp version will work for you: (these are also listed in your profile and it would be a good idea to fill them out to help speed up support processes in the future.)
AlexB