Win 7 ADE 4.0 won't recognize Nook

I have a laptop running Windows 7 and I installed Adobe Digital Editions 4.0 this week.  I went to a site that had a book for me to download. I authorized my computer and successfully downloaded the book. I was able to read the book on my computer.  Adobe has instructions for reading an ebook on a Nook. I followed those but they do not work.

1. Rebooted computer

2. Plugged Nook into a USB port on the computer

3. Computer offered me some options for what to do with the device, but i closed that dialog box because none of them were what I wanted to do. 

4. In Windows Explorer, I can see "My Nook."

5. I started Adobe Digital Editions. According to Adobe, I should see the Nook on the left side of the page above the options for library.

6. It does not show up. 

7. I tried the reverse order. Start ADE 4.0 first, then plug the Nook into the computer. This made no difference. 

8. The Nook said I had to authorize it using Adobe Digital Editions.  I can't find a way to authorize it. 

I believe that ADE needs to be on my computer, but that there's no way to download ADE to my Nook.

9.  I was able to view my library on my computer in Explorer mode and per the instructions from Adobe, I dragged the book I had downloaded from the library on to the Nook (but not to any specific location on the Nook).  I cannot find the book.

How do I authorize the Nook?

If the book is on the Nook (not trying to rhyme) already, why can't I find it?

I'm ready to throw the Nook in the trash, erase ADE, and never try to read an ebook this way again.

Why can't I perform the simple task of authorizing the Nook and transferring a file to it where it can be read?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Ken