Reinstalling your Operating System

Computer Care: Best to reinstall your OS when problems mount

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED Oct. 25, 2009 12:08 a.m.

On occasion, I find myself attempting a tuneup on a computer that is beyond tuning. If your registry is corrupt, you have unnecessary programs run at start-up and check disk initiates every time you boot up, you have a problem.

If there are too many pop-ups to navigate the desktop — and even when you can, nothing happens when you click an icon — then a tuneup is not the answer. Sure, it could probably be fixed, but it would take longer than another option and you might miss something anyway.

When there are that many problems in a system and it is that unstable, it would take less time to reformat your hard drive and reinstall Windows than it would to attempt a repair. It also makes better sense. With the latter, you would not even be certain you fixed everything.

With a reinstall, you would not fix what ails the system, you would be erasing it. It will get rid of any malware and possible viruses, toss the trojans, the temps, clean the cache and give you a fresh version of the registry.

It may seem a bit intimidating to take on such a task, but it is really the more sensible choice. It is even more so now, with the release of Windows 7. It is a good time to upgrade from XP or Vista, a must if you still have the Millennium Edition.

The upgrade from Vista to Win 7 won’t hurt at all. You’ll even get to carry over your settings. With XP though, you’ll need to wipe everything. If you’re just replacing XP with itself, depending upon your choices, your data may also be saved. As much as I liked working with XP, this new operating system is a pleasure and I don’t have the regrets I had with Vista.

You will hear from the naysayers that Windows 7 is nothing but Vista with a fresh coat of paint. I say it is more. They gave it a better engine with more horsepower. It now runs like a race car instead of a jalopy.

Should you decide to go with a reinstallation, you first need to make sure to save what you don’t want to lose. I’ve had clients ask me where their address book was or that their Favorites or Bookmarks were gone after I wiped their hard drive. Sure they were. If you don’t save it, it won’t be there.

All it takes is an external hard drive or a couple of DVDs, depending on how much data you want to back up. You might just copy the entire My Docs folder. Alternatively, look for My Pictures, My Videos or My Music. Give the desktop a once over just in case there is a stray file or two out there.

You could use a wild-card search to be sure. For example, in the search box, type *.*jpg if you want to see all the jpegs in the system. Use *.*doc to find Word documents.

If you have a dedicated backup utility, now is the time to use it. Vista has a program to help you with the task. Pick and choose carefully what you decide to keep.

Tools like Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image will create an image or a snapshot of your hard drive, operating system and all.

But this, too, warrants caution. If you are reformatting because of problems with your system, you will be transferring the problems with an image, defeating the purpose of the reinstallation. You’d be better off just copying what you need manually, unless you created an image back before you had issues.

If you plan to upgrade to Win 7, then the image won’t do you any good. Just back up your files.

If you want a clean fix with the same operating system, it usually works one of two ways. PC manufacturers either ship a system restoration disk with the computer or include a rescue partition on the hard drive. If you didn’t get a disk, look for a D drive under My Computer. It should say either Recovery or Rescue.

Before you initiate a reformat, make sure you have something to put back on the hard drive in the form of an operating system; otherwise, you’re just creating a doorstop.

Start to finish should take two to three hours, again depending on how much you have to save.

It is important to note that you will have to reinstall any programs you had. You can’t copy a program.

Once you get going, Windows does most of the work. You’ll get the occasional question about time zone, computer and network name, but for the most part it is on auto pilot.

You might check out a web site or two to gain some confidence before you begin. Just Google, “Windows reinstallation” and choose.

There is no down side to this. Your system will be cleaner and faster than it has been in a long time. You can live with a corrupt computer, replace it or just reinstall Windows. Have a plan, back up what needs backing, take a deep breath and get to work.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville.
His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

Windows 7 is Coming

Computer Care: Windows 7 is a big step up from Vista

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED Oct. 9, 2009 9:19 p.m.

Windows 7 will be out in a couple of weeks and unlike its predecessor, it is something to look forward to.

Although its release isn’t officially until Oct. 22, I have a prerelease version installed on my computer and I like it. I took advantage of Microsoft’s offer back in June to try it free for a year. It’s installed on my laptop alongside Vista; I can’t remember the last time I booted into Vista.

It’s not a totally new interface like the difference between Win 98 and XP, but it beats Vista by leaps and bounds.

Win 7 seems to have added what XP left out and repaired what Vista messed up. Some things are new, others polished. Gone are the constant nags of permission to access something on your own computer. They called it security; I called it a nuisance.

Vista initially had issues with many peripherals that XP handled with ease. Win 7 is ready. Vista couldn’t run on the new tiny netbooks where XP could. So could Win 7.

I think Vista must have been a huge a huge disappointment, if not an embarrassment to Microsoft. It ended up being nothing like its older brother, XP. Whether it was released prematurely or what, we’ll never know. It was kind of like Win ME, the Millennium Edition. The turn of the century is here and we’d better have something to sell, ready or not. I used mine as a coaster on my desk.

A nice addition to Win 7 is not so many additions. Instead of cramming a bunch of add-on programs and utilities to the operating system, some that may never be used, Microsoft decided this time around to offer them as optional, free downloads on its Web site. Many add-ons are in Windows Live Essentials. That’s where you’ll find Window’s Mail and Messenger now as well as the new Writer and some others. Go to http://down load.live.com to see what’s there.

I added Photo Gallery to my installation. Aside from being a nice photo viewer and sufficient editor, it has a panoramic feature. If you’re on the beach or mountain top and want to remember the expansive panoramic view, now you can, and Photo Gallery does it effortlessly.

You can also make slideshows or movies in Photo Gallery, and when done, you can upload your finished products directly to You Tube, Flickr or Facebook for publication. A new addition to image-viewing is the slider in each folder that lets you adjust the size of the thumbnails.

The taskbar is perhaps the most noticeable change to the operating system’s interface. The start button is still there; it just doesn’t tell you what it is. Instead of pinning programs to the start menu or the Quicklaunch bar, you can now pin them to the taskbar.

All you do is hover the mouse over a taskbar item and it reveals a readable thumbnail. Then you click on either the item or the thumbnail to open it. The thumbnail offers a list of what each app recently had open. Word for example, will show a list of documents, and Firefox, a list of sites.

If you have multiple windows opened and want to view them in equal sizes, simply right-click on the taskbar. You will have a choice to cascade them, view them side by side or stacked. Personally, I like the side-by option. It’s like having my research book adjacent to the paper I’m writing. I can Google something and keep writing.

If you double-click anywhere on a window’s title bar, it will show in full screen. Alternatively, you can just drag it to the top of the screen and goes to full size automatically, with the new snap feature.

I have deleted the recycle bin more than once instead of emptying it. That option to delete is thankfully no longer there.

Having never been a fan of Internet Explorer, the new version has not changed that. My advice is to go to mozilla.com and download the latest version of Firefox. It is far more versatile and customizable than IE ever was.

What is versatile in the new OS is the redesigned Media Center that handles not just photos and music, but videos and TV. It asks what you want to configure and takes it from there.

Windows 7 installed on my laptop in an hour and booted in less than a minute. I found a huge collection of themes to download from Microsoft as well as add-ons as mentioned. It goes to sleep in seconds and wakes up almost as fast.

I found this OS more helpful than its predecessors. It connects to wireless much easier, finding local connections quickly.

Whenever you run into a problem, a troubleshooter is there in the form of a wizard to assist you. It asks just enough proper questions to help get you going again.

Libraries are something new. They are like what My Pictures was to My Documents in XP — on steroids. They are lists accessible across the OS. Using tags or keywords with libraries, files are easier to index and find from anywhere.

If you bought a new computer recently, chances are it came with a coupon or a link to get a free upgrade to Windows 7. I’d say go for it.

Even if you don’t have a coupon, the pricing is affordable. According to Microsoft’s Web site, the upgrade version for the Home Premium edition is $119.99, and $219.99 for the Ultimate Upgrade.

It may be just the operating system you’ve been looking for. Worst case scenario: it’s better than the one you’ve been itching to get away from.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

Pitfalls of Self-Repair

Computer Care: Beware the pitfalls of home PC repair

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED Sept. 26, 2009 6:18 p.m.

There are circumstances when a computer can be fixed at home without the aid of a technician. There are also times when self-repair should never be attempted. Consider some of these situations next time something goes wrong with your PC.

Short of replacing the motherboard or processor, you might contemplate fixing your own computer if it seems routine enough. It all depends on how adept you are with your hands, working in tight places and your knowledge of computers and electricity.

No matter what you attempt, the first thing to do is unplug it. Don’t be a tough guy. It’s crowded in there and you never know what you might inadvertently touch.

Then make sure you are grounded. Electrostatic discharge can toast a system in seconds without you even knowing it. The easiest way to ground yourself is to touch a metal part of the box before you unplug it. Don’t work on a carpet or in stocking feet.

Even the simplest of tasks can prove disastrous if you’re not careful. Cleaning accumulated dust from a system shouldn’t prove difficult. It collects around the fans, in the power supply and on the motherboard. Too much dust eventually will force a computer to shut down.

Using a can of compressed air will do the job, but realize it is compressed gas, not air. It is dangerous to breathe, so take it outside. You’ll also make more of a mess than you think, another reason not to do it indoors.

If you hold the can any way other than upright, some propellant will escape. Not only is it cold, it is liquid and could short out the computer if you are not careful.

I caution you against the use of a vacuum to clean dust from your PC. It’s better to blow the dust off than suck it in. You never know — the vacuum may eat a small, loose part that you need.

On laptops, the keys pop off easily. If you vacuum bagel crumbs from a Satellite or Inspiron keyboard, you may lose a letter or two.

Replacing RAM, a hard drive or interface cards should be routine enough. But if you drop a screw, knock a cable or fail to seat a card properly, your system will not boot up. I always count screws as I take them out so I know how many should go back in when I’m done.

And speaking of cables, it’s a good idea to label them as you unplug them from the rear of the box. Both the mouse and keyboard use PS2 connectors, unless they are USB (then it doesn’t matter). The Ethernet cable looks like a phone cord but won’t fit in the wrong port. It’s also easy to confuse the speaker port with the mic port; both use pin plugs.

If you try to reinstall the video cable backward, you will most likely bend some pins, rendering the cable and in some cases, the monitor useless. On CRT monitors, the cable does not unscrew from it. Most LCDs, though, have connectors at both ends.

Be careful cleaning the monitor surface. It’s always better to spray your paper towel or cloth rather than the device itself. If you spray the screen, the liquid may puddle and drip inside, possibly shorting it out. Also, the less harsh the solvent you use, the better. Some may fog the surface of the monitor.

RAM goes in easy enough, but again, if you try to install it backward, you will not only damage the memory module, but its receptacle on the motherboard. Laptop memory has a spring latch holding it in place and usually goes in on an angle. It’s just something else to pay attention to.

While you’re inside your desktop, it’s not a bad idea to replace the battery — yes the battery. It controls your clock, among other things. They should last four to five years, and cost only about $3. So as long as you have the cover off, you might as well change it. They are easy to spot: flat, shiny and about the size of a quarter. Be careful popping it out. I suggest using pencil to release the spring. Pay attention to the polarity. The positive side (with the plus sign) should face up.

As far as printers go, if you need more than a cartridge alignment, I’d toss it. You pay for the ink now, not the unit itself.
Before you close up the box, take a last look around. Is everything connected? Check for any loose screws. Turn it upside down if you have to. All it takes is one to short it out.

Plug in the cables, saving the power cord for last and see if it still works.

There are lots of user-serviceable parts in a computer. But if you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself replacing more than a RAM module. Before you take on even routine maintenance, give it careful consideration.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly.

Dealing with Returns

Computer Care: The art of returning faulty items

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED Sept. 12, 2009 12:57 a.m.

When I was a boy, my dad told me to always ask for the head barber. Tony owned the local clip joint where I grew up. He gave me a decent haircut, shaved my young sideburns with hot lather and tossed a steamy towel on me before slapping a cheap, aromatic after-shave on my face.

He made feel like a man. The secret, I discovered at an early age, was dealing with the one in charge.

It took some time for me to realize though, that my dad’s instructions applied not just for barbers, but for everywhere. His lesson has served me well. Wherever I go, especially when I have a problem, I ask for the head barber.

Recently, I went to a large superstore with a client to return a computer that was shipped to him DOA. We were politely shrugged off by all at the store. "Son," I heard my dad’s voice say. "Ask for the head barber."

So I asked to speak to the store manager. I’ll tell you in a moment what happened, but first here’s some tips to consider when dealing with a situation such as this:

• Whether in person or on the phone, get names of those you encounter. Know who you’re speaking with and take notes.

• Keep your cool. Don’t raise your voice and don’t make threats. Nobody responds well to threats.

• Be familiar with the warranty. Know when the store stops covering the product and the manufacturer takes over.

• Save all boxes, manuals, cables, etc., as they will check for them upon a return.

• Be flexible. The agent may be willing to trade your broken product for a similar, if not identical one. Be willing to consider a compromise. Be ready to accept it.

• Stand your ground, if you are certain you are in the right. Don’t be brushed off by, "Sorry, but there’s nothing I can do to help you." Find someone who can.

• Occasionally the manager will not be available. If you get nowhere with his assistant, go home and call the store, the head office or write them a strong, well thought-out letter. A snail-mail letter, especially registered, will have more effect than an e-mail. But you might start with that.

Understand sometimes you take a chance when you buy certain sale items. In those cases, should something go wrong, you may have to eat it. Open-box items, clearance sales, returns and many refurbished products are sold "as is," meaning you get a deep discount but take a chance on product quality. Most often there is nothing wrong with these items, but you never know. It’s a gamble and occasionally you lose.

But when you spend hundreds of dollars on a new item and something goes wrong, you then have a legitimate gripe. Most stores are reluctant to offer you a refund, but will exchange a broken item for one that works.

Be reasonable in your demands though. Don’t expect a trade because you don’t like the color of a product or because it has a small scratch on it.

Now back to my case. The computer arrived late and unable to boot up. This was after six days when my client paid for "expedited" shipping. I explained this to the sales guy, his supervisor and eventually to the store manager and that I was a PC tech who knew a dead computer when I saw one. What made me dig in even more was when he informed me there was nothing he could do, due to the fact that the computer was purchased on the Web site, not at the store.

I advised him that consumers don’t care about such details. The store, the Web site — it’s all the same to us, and that it should be for them as well.

I told him I was guilty of opening the case to see if there was a hard drive installed. He then matter-of-factly informed me that could void the warranty. I told him I broke no foil seal in the process. He told me the screws had special paint to tell if they had been tampered with. I told him I did in fact tamper with them to open the case. Wow!

So we went back and forth for some time. I think he finally realized I wasn’t going anywhere and that we had a legitimate gripe. He said he had to call someone in authority. I told him I could wait. He eventually gave in and allowed us to swap out the bad unit for a good one.

The bottom line here is that you should not be intimidated by a sales clerk. If you spent a lot of money in a store, you deserve a lot of customer service (not an oxymoron). Don’t accept that there is nothing they can do. Sure there is.

If you have trouble dealing with the person at hand, heed my dad’s words: Ask for the head barber.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly.

The Cost of Free Programs

Computer Care: Beware the costs of free programs

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED Aug. 14, 2009 11:30 p.m.

Everyone likes a bargain. There are two-for-one beers, free samples, free parking, free admission, free Wi-Fi and free downloads.

All are great except for the last one. Free downloads are not always free. Well, they may be free, but there is still a price to pay.

Sure, some free downloads make you eventually pay for the program, but that’s not where I’m going. I’ve mentioned this in the past, but it’s worth saying again: A free program is not only free of cost, but free of support as well.

You are on your own when you download a free program from the Internet. Don’t expect help from the site you got it from or from those who wrote the program. Somewhere in all of those OK and Next buttons you initially click is an agreement stating that fact.

You use the program at your own risk. Should something go wrong, it’s on you. You need to know what you are using, how to use it and what it does. This especially holds true with registry tools. In just a couple of wrong mouse clicks, you could turn an $800 laptop into an expensive doorstop.

The first thing to do is make sure your system is healthy. If it’s already on the edge and you push it, there will be consequences.

When you install something on your system — anything — make sure nothing else is running. That means not just closing open windows, but also checking the taskbar. Look over by the clock and close down any programs you don’t need. Everyone has some utilities running there. Right-click and exit them. This is especially true of anti-virus programs.

When you later reboot, they will come back, so don’t worry about restarting them. The less you have running during an installation, the less of a chance you have of something going wrong.

It’s always good practice to create a system restore point prior to installing anything, should something go awry. It will give you a point to return to in case of trouble, kind of like Mr. Peabody’s Way-Back Machine. Some applications will create one for you automatically or at least ask you if you want to create one, but many will not.

From your Start menu in XP, click Accessories, then System Tools and System Restore. Choose to create a restore point. If you prefer to have it always on your start menu, right-click on it and choose: pin to start menu. It will then reside above the line on the left side of the menu.

In Vista, look in Control Panel under Classic view for Backup and Restore Center. In the left column, click on: Create a System Restore Point.

Your anti-virus and anti-malware utilities should have been running when you downloaded those programs you’re about to install. That is when anything malicious would get caught. There are a ton of Trojan horses circulating the Internet and if you are not careful and diligent, one or more will find its way to your computer.

Use reputable Web sites for downloads. Don’t click on every link that flashes "Free" on your screen. If you use online forums to read about others’ experiences with programs, you’ll learn plenty. Sites like download.com allow you to read not only the editor’s comments about programs, but you can see other user’s comments as well. This may help you decide if a program is worthwhile.

Many programs are written by the small guy, as opposed to corporate giants. Often the application written by the guy living in his parents’ basement is the best out there. Should you decide to pay the affordable $24 fee he’ll ask for, you’ll then get all the support you need.

I once had a guy e-mail me from Finland within hours of my query for help. It was well worth the small price I paid for his program.

Keep in mind, I would never recommend a program to you without having first tried it myself. I’ve had readers write, telling me that a program I wrote about was garbage and how could I?

Not every utility will function perfectly on every system. It just doesn’t work that way. Unfortunately we don’t live in a perfect world.

In some cases, as I mentioned, if the computer is already on the edge, all it may take is hitting the Enter key for an error to occur. In others, it may take running a program. But it’s not my fault, whatever the case. So please, don’t kill the messenger.

If you install a lot of programs, remember to delete them if you don’t use them. Why clutter up your hard drive? Then, since you are deleting lots of programs, it’s a good idea to run your defrag utility every now and then. There is always some maintenance involved with computing.

Just keep in mind there are many enticing, free programs on the Internet. Use them wisely and cautiously.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

Junk Files on your Computer

Computer Care: Clean junk off hard drive for better performance

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

UPDATED July 31, 2009 11:47 p.m.

Computers are magnets for junk files. There are those that Windows needs temporarily and neglects to discard; there are browser histories; installation files and just plain old junk.

Everyone has old e-mails and programs that we once couldn’t do without, but haven’t used in months. Then there are the space hogs, the music and video files. Keeping your system junk-free will help keep it fast.

Just because you put your unused items in the recycle bin doesn’t get them off of your system. You just put the trash in the can, but haven’t taken it out to the curb yet. You need to empty it. Although keeping files in the bin until you know they are truly not needed is a good precaution, you have the option of deleting your trash immediately. Right-click on the Recycle Bin and choose Properties and check the option to empty it.

Even if you delete of all of the above, a good cleaning utility will still find megabytes of garbage on your computer.

It’s not just a matter of keeping it fast; it is also a matter of security. What remains behind after you are done with it, prying eyes may find. There are browser searches, cookies, run commands, the prefetch folder and forms you filled out, some with sensitive information.

You can clean all that manually by clicking this and that, but you need to know where to look, and junk data is hidden in many places. You’d be better off getting a utility to do it for you.

There are dedicated programs to scrub your system, as well as some suites. As always, many can be downloaded for free.

I like CCleaner, a freebie that attaches to your Recycle Bin. You right-click on it to run and in one fell swoop, it cleans a good bit of your junk files then empties the trash can. It can be customized to keep the cookies you want. Get it from www.ccleaner.com/download.

My new favorite tool is a free multi-purpose program from Comodo. System Cleaner is a thorough, easy-to-use utility, available at http://system-cleaner.comodo.com/download.html.

It has a Power Clean option that doesn’t miss a thing. It also checks your registry. Another one is Advanced System Care, that does the same thing as CCleaner and also checks the registry. Download it at www.iobit.com/advancedwindowscareper.html.

There are lots of others. Just Google, "cleaning utility." Remember, just because it is a free download, doesn’t necessarily mean it is a free program. It may be, but read the fine print.

If you are really cleaning your hard drive to make more room, there are other things to consider. Be careful what you delete; some items you may want to keep or at least burn to CD or DVD or move to an external hard drive. Some of those videos, music files, photos or programs you purchased may be irreplaceable.

If you’re a photographer or an audiophile, you could free up many gigabytes by transferring those files to another medium. Just having one copy of something you cherish is never a good idea anyway. You wouldn’t want to lose that shot of your son hitting a homer or your daughter’s solo on stage would you?

Hard drives fail. It is a fact of computing. Dupe those images and tunes to a second disc while you’re at it.

Aside from what’s mentioned above, another big space hog is fonts. Some systems have dozens of fonts that are never used. Removing some will also speed up your boot time.

If you wonder how full your computer is, hover your mouse over your "C" drive icon and it will tell you. If you want to see a pie chart, right-click on it and go to Properties.

When you’re done cleaning your system of unnecessary files, run whatever defragmenting tool you have. It will help keep your computer running fast. It likes contiguous free disc space and when you delete as much as we’ve just talked about, there will be lots of gaps in the file structure.

If you don’t have a third-party defrag application installed, go to Programs, Accessories, System Tools then to Defragmenter to use the Windows tool.

If you really want to get serious about it and you’ve had your computer for 4-5 years or more, reformat your hard drive and start all over. Really. I do it annually, at least. There’s nothing like a clean installation of Windows.

To give you an idea of how much "stuff" is on your hard drive: XP uses about 6 to 7 gb of space and Vista maybe 10 gb. Most of the rest that shows on that pie chart is stuff you could either delete or copy to another disc. Doing it that way, you wouldn’t have to delete a thing. After you copy what you need (and there are back-up programs too), reformatting will erase everything for you.

So whether you reinstall Windows or just do some heavy housekeeping, your computer will run faster.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

Network Your Home Computers

Computer Care: Networking your PCs is a snap

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

UPDATED July 18, 2009 12:33 a.m.

Networking your computers can be an asset to your home environment if you have more than one computer. By combining your desktop with your spouse’s laptop and your child’s PC via a home network, there are obvious benefits. All could share one Internet connection, one printer or all have access to many. You would also be able to share files.

Adding wireless to the network could enhance it even more. You would then have the ability to check your e-mail or update your Facebook account from the kitchen table or backyard lounger using a laptop.

Networking has gotten easier since Windows XP and even more so with Vista. With Win 7 coming this fall, it will be even easier still. Not to oversimplify matters, but Windows practically networks for you. The operating systems each have wizards to follow.

Providing you have the proper equipment, you could be up and running in no time. Really.

Assuming you have a broadband connection, DSL or cable, you already have a modem. Some ISPs provide a combination router/modem. If yours is just a modem, then you’ll need a router. This is where you’ll have to decide if you want wired or wireless. Routers start at about $40 and can be purchased at online retailers or locally just about anywhere.

You should have all the cables you need. The router or modem usually ships with both a USB and an Ethernet cable, the one that looks like a fat phone wire. Forget about the USB and use the Ethernet instead. Many people get into trouble thinking both cables need to be used; they don’t.

Depending upon which type of connection you have, you’ll see either a phone wire or a coaxial cable coming from the wall. That’s what you’ll want to connect to the back of your modem. If you have a separate router, use an Ethernet cable from the modem to the router. The router usually has four ports together and one by itself. The one alone is the input, the rest are outputs for a wired network.

Don’t stack the devices if you have two. Keep them at least a foot or more apart as they may cause interference. This is also true of wireless phones on the 2.4 GHz frequency. If you have one on your desk, you may want to find another place for it.

Wireless computing has a range of about 300 feet. It can connect through floors, but you may need to adjust the antennas downward. Metals studs and microwaves may also get in the way. You’ll have to experiment with placement to get an optimum signal.

Should you lose your signal, and you will, you’ll need to reset your modem. Whether it be a thunderstorm or an outage for another reason, rather than call your ISP and wait 45 minutes, do this instead: Unplug both router and modem and wait half a minute. Plug in the modem and wait for the lights to stop flashing, about 15-20 seconds. Then plug the router back in and wait for it to settle down. You should then have your connection back.

Setting up the computers: First you need to make sure all computers involved are called something different and are all in the same workgroup. If you use XP, right-click on My Computer and go to Properties. Under the Computer Name tab, give your system a unique name and click Change to rename the workgroup. Click Apply, OK and reboot.

In Vista, right-click on My Computer and click Properties. Then click on Advanced System Settings on the left, then the Computer Name tab as in XP. Give the computer a unique name and click Change to rename the Workgroup. Agree to everything and reboot.

Next, you’ll need to run the Network Setup Wizard. Depending on what you plan to do, from here on there are options, too many to cover in the constraints of this column. You’ll have to make choices and follow the prompts. They are not difficult; they have explanations and troubleshooters.

Look in Control Panel. From either XP or Vista, click the start button and look on the right column for Control Panel. XP will have both Wireless Setup and Network Setup wizards. Vista has a Network and Sharing Center under Network and Internet. There are various subheadings within that group.

Keep a USB flash drive handy. You’ll need it to save and transfer settings from one computer to the next.

In either OS, whatever it is you want to share is easily done with a right-click. If you want to share the Photos folder for example, right-click on it and choose “Share.” A hand will appear beneath the newly shared folder.

There are lots of other things to cover, including security, but as I mentioned, there’s not enough room here for it all. In a nutshell, don’t ignore it. WEP is good; WPA is better. The system will assist you in choosing. An unsecured system invites hackers and leaves you open to threats.

Worst case scenario, you’ll need to call a local technician. I hear there are a few good ones in town.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.