I thought I would occasionally write some info here about tech, and today I will cover a few questions and answers related to Windows Vista, since it will soon be everywhere (sigh).
Question. When I connected to my wireless network, it said it wasn’t secure. Why?
Answer. If you connect to a wireless network that isnt protected with a passkey, then its possible for others to intercept your data. The chances of this happening arent high, but its best to avoid the problem entirely by using wireless encryption. Windows Vista supports two types, WEP and WPA. WEP is older and less secure, while APA is more robust.
Check the manual for your wireless router for how to set them up.
Question. Why does the network Icon in the bottom right corner of the screen change sometimes?
Answer. The icon changes depending on whether you have an active internet connection or not. If your connection is working, it shows a small world globe graphic on the bottom right of the two monitor screens in the icon. If the internet connection isn’t working, it just shows the monitor screens. Click on the icon to see which network you are currently connected to; you can click the “Connect to another network” link to search for another network and connect to it. Should you suddenly lose your connection to the internet, you can quickly find out whats wrong by right-clicking the icon and selecting “Diagnose and repair.”
Question. My old windows xp pc only appears at the bottom of the network map, how do I get it to show in the right place?
Answer. While every windows vista pc should show up correctly in the network map, Windows XP doesn’t have the correct software, so windows xp computers pushed to the bottom of the window. Its easy to update them, though. Al you need to do is go to download.microsoft.com and search for LLTD Responder. Its a very small file so it will be a quick download. Once you have it, double click on it to install it and your Windows XP PC should now appear in the network map.
Question. Why is windows vista taking so long to start up?
Answer. Windows Vistas Aero Glass feature may be too demanding for your pc. Right click your desktop and choose personalize. Then click Window Color and Appearance and choose Windows Vista Basic from the list to speed things up.
Question. Why Cant I import my backed up files?
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Answer. This can happened if you’ve transferred your files from DVD and they are set to read only. Select the files, right click on them, and choose properties, then make sure the read only attribute is not checked. Click apply and OK and all should be right as rain.
Question. My software doesn’t install-why?
Answer. If you put an install disc in the drive and nothing happens, right click on it in my computer and choose explore. Right click on the installer itself and choose Run As Administrator. Note: the installer may be called setup pr the name of the program
Question. What do I do if my software installs, but still doesn’t work?
Answer. Go to control panel, then programs, use an older program with this version of windows and pick the program you want to run from the list that appears. Follow the steps to fool it into thinking its running in an older version of windows.
Question. So what do I do if my software installs but still doesn’t run?
Answer. You can manually set compatibility options by right clicking on the program, choosing properties, then compatibility and setting them. Windows XP SP2 should work, and you can check boxes for other options required.
Question. My software isnt working properly. What should I do?
Answer. Make sure that you are running the latest version. Many programs need to have updates installed to work in windows Vista, and some wont work at all. Check their respective official websites for details.
Question. How can I get my really old games to work in Windows Vista?
Answer. If you’ve got any really old software that require DOS, then it wont work in Windows Vista. Instead you need to get DOSbox from http://dosbox.sourceforge.net in order to run them.
Question. Why is my PC running soo slow now?
Answer. If your computer only has a small amount of RAM, then its going to struggle when it somes to running Windows Vista, If you cant add any more, plug in a USB2 ReadyBoost compatible memory stick and choose “Speed up my computer” from the menu that appears.
Question. How can I get my extra hardware to work?
Answer. Not all hardware devices and components will immediately work with windows vista. Look for a Windows Vista compatible driver at the manufacturers websites, or try installing a Windows XP driver instead.
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