package installtion

That might be an option if it weren't my most important predictor.  I'm thinking my best bet is to use MLWin for the estimation since it will properly set fixed effects
  to 0.  All my other sample size simulation programs use SAS PROC IML which I don't have/can't afford.  I like R since it's free, but I can't work around the problem
I'm currently having.

This is the ``push every possible button until you get a result and to 
hell with what
anything actually means'' approach to statistics.   The probability of 
getting a
*meaningful* result from this approach is close to zero.

Why don't you try to *understand* what is going on, rather than wildly 
throwing
every possible piece of software at the problem until one such piece runs?

     cheers,

         Rolf Turner