Planning Your Home Network

Windows 7's XP Mode (aka Virtual Windows XP) is one of the most misunderstood options available for Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions. Go beyond the myths and get the FAQs you need to find out if XP Mode is right for you.

A lot of Windows users have installed Apple's Safari browser since Apple began pushing it to users this spring. Here's why it's time to put it aside - at least for now.

The decisions you make about the software you install, the wireless networks you use, and the people you trust can either create a secure home or office network or hang out the "this network is unprotected" sign for data and privacy thieves.

Microsoft's advice to encourage individual users to get Windows XP SP3 via Windows Update is useful - but only if Windows Update is working properly. Learn how to avoid wasting time and update XP systems painlessly.

It's been four long weeks since Microsoft released Vista SP1 for the "fortunate five" languages (US English, French, German, Japanese, and Traditional Spanish). Now, everyone else can get updated.

It's been six long weeks since Microsoft locked in Vista SP1, but it's now available for download. Here's how to choose the right method for your situation.

A security consultant from the other 'land down under' has released a tool that makes FireWire (IEEE-1394) ports on your Windows PC a big security risk. Here's how the attack works - and how to stop it, too.

Don't want to wait until the final release of Windows XP SP3? RC2 is now available in full downloadable versions, but some users are having problems. Find out the solutions before you start evaluating RC2.

Worried about whether your apps can handle the coming SP1 upgrade to Vista? Relax. The official list of affected programs is short, and there are fixes for most already.

Want to take the latest refresh of XP SP3 RC for a spin? It's now available via Windows Update. Here's how to get it.

If you have even one of over 600 addons (extensions) for Firefox installed, you are vulnerable to JavaScript exploits that can expose your browser's configuration, what you've been doing online, and more.

Although Windows Update showers your system with updates, you may have to wait for the updates you need most. Why wait? Learn how to find and get the updates you need - now.

Still have CRTs, parallel-port printers, PS/2 mice and keyboards, and USB 1.1 stuff cluttering up your office? Here's some advice to help you decide when it's time to part with the old and make way for the new.

Even if you're armed with an up-to-date antivirus program, you might still run into malware baddies you can't detect or remove. As long as you can still get online, though, you can use an increasing number of free tools to find and, in most cases, remove threats.  Here's where to find them - and how they work.

Whether you use Windows XP or Windows Vista, learn how to make your favorite Control Panel features easier to find and faster to use.

Whether you're a casual snapshooter or a professional photographer, you'll probably be in the market for flash memory cards sooner or later. Learn how to choose wisely from a deluge of sizes and models.

Whether you're a casual snapshooter or a serious photographer, Windows Live Photo Gallery's a worthwhile upgrade for both Windows XP and Windows Vista users.

Whether you're a casual snapshooter or an aspiring professional, your digital camera has better things to do than double as a picture transfer device. Discover your best options.

Need a new mouse? Don't worry about categories like "desktop" and "portable" - instead, find out what features are really the most important.

If you're not using the page zooming and print previewing features in Internet Explorer 7, you're missing out on two of the best reasons to use IE7. Find out how these new features boost productivity and make better use of today's widescreen displays.

Can't find your favorite web pages anymore? Learn how to track them down, even if it takes a 'trip through time.'

All too often, web pages are here today and gone tomorrow. Learn how to save your favorite pages before they disappear.

Looking for a faster way to back up your desktop and mobile PCs? Want to exploit those extra SATA host adapters on your motherboard? Follow these tips to make moving to eSATA a painless process.

Help your Windows Vista network to accurately display your Windows XP systems with a simple-to-install download.

Users who want the 'latest, greatest' wireless network are flocking to 802.11n hardware, but disappointment can await if you don't check specifications and performance carefully.

Looking for a safe way to experiment with a release candidate or new application? Virtualize it! Here's how to get started.

Whether you're searching for more USB ports, digital audio, better video output, or an easy way to connect to all your office gizmos with a single connection, your laptop's expansion port or extra USB port makes it easy.

Some Windows Update 'updates' are turning out to be toxic for some PCs. Learn how to protect yourself from software screwups with System Restore.

Whether you run Windows XP, Windows Vista, MacOS, or Linux, memory (RAM) maximizes your system performance. Follow our four rules to get the most for your money.

Need to secure your wireless network? Windows XP SP2 makes it easy to create strong WEP or WPA keys for any Wi-Fi network.

Widescreen displays are all the rage, but some onboard video and graphics cards aren't up to the task of supporting some sizes. Here's how to make sure you get full benefit from your new display.

If your Windows XP installation was originally performed with a pre-SP1 version, you could be in for a world of hurt if you ever need to perform a repair install. Find out why a slipstream Windows XP install CD's an inexpensive insurance policy against disaster.

Short of USB ports? Discover the best ways to add more ports without sacrificing performance or compatibility.

You can fix a lot of Windows problems – if you understand command-line utilities like NET, SC, and REGSVR32. Now, even if you're command-line-challenged, you can fix problems with Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 (and older versions, too) with Dial-a-Fix.

Once you determine the essential facts about the processor, motherboard, and BIOS version in your computer, you can decide whether a processor upgrade is worthwhile, and which one you should install.

Whether you use Windows XP, Windows Vista or a legacy Windows version, customizing your folder views helps you find the information you want with less effort and helps you can navigate through your system faster. This article discusses folder customizations in Windows Vista. For Windows XP, see Tip 4.

Back in the day, processor upgrades were fairly simple: find a faster processor in the same CPU family, flip a few motherboard configuration switches after installing the new processor, and you were ready to roll. Today, with processor families containing a bewildering array of options, selecting a processor upgrade is trickier than ever. Here's how to do it "by the numbers."

Whether you use Windows XP, Windows Vista or a legacy Windows version, customizing your folder views helps you find the information you want with less effort and helps you can navigate through your system faster. This article discusses folder customizations in Windows XP, and a future article discusses folder customization in Windows Vista.

The once-huge performance differential between notebook and desktop computers has shrunk to near-vanishing, but one thing remains a constant: most notebooks need more onboard memory than desktops. Find out why, and what to do about it.

It's easy to forget how easy Windows Update makes keeping your system up to date when it reboots your system, knocking it offline so you can't access it remotely or run backup. Learn how to control how Windows Update works - so it works for you.

As a longtime contributor to books in both the Upgrading and Repairing and Special Edition Using Windows series, I've developed a great deal of expertise in both the hardware and operating system sides of computing. Over the next six weeks, I'll be sharing the best and most useful tips I've developed for current hardware, Windows XP, and Windows Vista.

Windows Update makes it simple to determine whether a system has the latest updates. But all is not well in Windows Updateland: several recent problems for Windows XP users can be traced back to how Windows Update works - and how Microsoft uses it

My name is Mark Edward Soper, and I'm your blog host this session. Let's start out with some AQ (I'm omitting the 'F' because I don't know how frequently these questions have been asked).