Q: How do I transfer files from my old computer running Windows 98 Second Edition to my new Windows 7 computer?

It is inconceivable to me that there is no easy way to transfer data from a computer that’s only 10 years old.

Hewlett Packard’s tech support people said that it is impossible to transfer from Windows 98 Second Edition to Windows 7 – that no equipment exists anymore to support the transfer.

What do I do?

A: Windows 7′s free “Windows Easy Transfer” program works pretty well at copying your files from a Windows XP or Windows Vista computer. But as you’ve discovered, the program conveniently ignores people with older Windows versions, like Windows Millennium, or Windows 98. That leaves you in the lurch.

Since there’s no automatic way to move the information from your Windows 98 computer to your new computer,  you’ll have to do the grunt work yourself.

You can transfer your information several ways:

• Floppy drives. Since you don’t need to copy a lot of information, the easiest transfer method is probably to buy a floppy drive that plugs into your new computer’s USB port. You’ll find several USB floppy drives for less than $20 sold by Amazon. Buy one, plug it into your Windows 7 computer, and you’ll be able to read any information your Windows 98 PC can store onto your diskettes.
• Hard drive. If your Windows 98 computer can no longer copy information to floppy disks, turn your old Windows 98 computer’s hard drive into a portable hard drive. Just buy an enclosure that can read the IDE drives that were in style back then. Insert the old hard drive into the enclosure, an easy enough task. Then, plug the portable hard drive into your Windows 7 computer’s USB port, and you can cherry pick the files you want to salvage.

No matter which transfer method you choose, be aware that most Windows 98 programs won’t run under Windows 7. You’ll have to buy updated version of your programs, and check to see if they can still open the same file formats used back in Windows 98.

Windows 98 only came out 12 years ago, but that’s several generations in computer time.

Q:

But my Windows Experience Index shows only 5.9, with my weak link being my hard disk transfer speed.

I’m really disappointed. How much stock should I put into Windows rankings? Can I do better by replacing my current hard drive? What hard drives are on the market that are scoring 7 and up in transfer speed?

Are there changes I can make to my hard drive, like changing the filing system, that will speed it up and score it higher?

A: A low-scoring hard drive nearly always torpedoes a fast computer’s Windows Experience Ratings. You’ve asked very good questions, so I’ll tackle them one by one.

• How much stock should I put into Windows rankings?

Windows Experience Ratings work best mostly when comparing several computers on the showroom floor:

1. Click any computer’s Start button.
2. Right-click Computer, and choose Properties.

The resulting Windows Experience Index lets you see at a glance which computer beats the other in a fistfight.

To probe a particular computer’s strengths and weaknesses, click the words “Windows Experience Index,” shown to the left, and Windows fetches the window shown at the top of this page. As you can see, the usual bottleneck with high-performance computers comes with their hard drives.

When it comes to speed, hard drives haven’t kept up with processors, memory and graphics cards. Sure, hard drives hold more files than ever. But they can’t move those files around very quickly.

• Can I do better by replacing my current hard drive?

Yes, you can. But before doing that, try the cheap approach: Make sure your motherboard drivers are up to date. Drop by your computer manufacturer’s Web site, and see if they’ve posted any updates for your computer’s motherboard. If you know the motherboard manufacturer, drop by its Web site, instead. Updating a driver sometimes improves your scores.

If that doesn’t help, it’s time for a second hard drive. See, most vendors cut costs by putting one huge hard drive in a computer. It’s a sales ploy, as prospective buyers feel reassured at seeing all that space. But that large size comes at a price: a slow transfer speed.

So, what do you do? Here’s the secret:

Buy a small, fast hard drive, and use it to store Windows and your programs. Then, use your whopper hard drive for storing all your music, digital photos, and videos. The Windows Experience Index only measures your primary hard disk — the one where Windows lives — so you’ll not only increase your score, but speed up your computer.

• What hard drives are on the market that are scoring 7 and up in transfer speed?

Solid State Drives, the big brothers to the flash drives carried around on keychains, are today’s fastest drives. With no moving parts, these drives really kick up your performance.

Unfortunately, they’re expensive. An Amazon search for SSD internal hard drives found a 256 GB drive on discount for $699. The fastest drives could be the OCZ Vertex 2 series; as I write this, Amazon sells a 60GB OCZ Vertex 2 for about $170. Sure, they’re small. But they’re large enough for Windows and a handful of key programs. Everything else can live on your slow-but-mammoth second drive.

• Are there changes I can make to the format of my HD, such as the filing system, that will speed it up and score it higher?

No. If it was this easy, computer manufacturers would be boosting their scores by doing just that.

If you want the highest hard drive scores, go with the SSD drives. I’ve never seen a reviewer who didn’t immediately gloat over their speed increase. Many buyers begin lamenting over how slow everybody else’s computer seems to run in comparison.

So, to boost your Windows Experience Index, as well as your own experience, pony up the money for an SSD drive.

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Q:

While installing software today, I noticed that the power source wasn’t plugged all the way into the video card, so I pushed it in more tightly, and bam: The computer suddenly shut off, and it won’t turn back on.

Do you think I’ve fried the computer’s motherboard or its power supply?

A: First, a rap on the knuckles: Always unplug your computer before working inside your PC. Even if you’re just tightening a connector, turn off and unplug your computer first.

Now, back to your question. When troubleshooting a potential power supply problem, let your ears be your guide, by listening for these things:When you turn on your PC, do you hear the power supply’s fan whir into action? Even the quietest fan can be heard when you place your ear next to the round vent on the back of your computer.

If you don’t hear a spinning fan, then you’ve killed the power supply. That’s a fairly inexpensive and easy-to-install repair.

But if the fan still spins, the power supply is probably still alive, so your motherboard might be dead. Motherboards cost more than a power supply.

There’s another scenario: If you hear the fan and you hear your hard drive clicking and whirring as it loads an operating system, then you might have killed something else: the video card.

To further isolate the problem, turn to your stash of old parts and begin swapping the suspect parts with old ones you know to be good. That makes it easy to find the bad part, and lets you avoid a trip to the repair shop.

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Let your computer double as a TV set by adding a TV tuner — a gadget that pulls in a TV signal, letting you channel surf and watch shows on your monitor.

The easiest TV tuners simply plug into a USB port, available on every computer, laptop, and netbook. When combined with the Media Center found in Windows Vista and Windows 7, TV Tuners also double as digital video recorders: Like a TiVo, they automatically record your favorite TV shows, letting you watch your faves whenever you’re ready.

USB tuners are easy to install, and they’re easily moved from one computer to another. (Keep an eye on your roommates.)

You’ll only pull in free HDTV station broadcasts if you’re within broadcast range, however, so your luck will vary considerably depending on where you live.

Step 1: Install a USB TV tuner

To install a USB TV tuner onto a netbook, laptop, or desktop computer, follow these steps:

1. Unpack your TV tuner and find all the parts. The tuner itself has a USB plug on one end, and a coaxial cable port on the other. The Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-950Q tuner I used here includes a remote control, a miniature antenna for pulling in free HDTV signals from the air, and recording software for computers that lack Windows’ Media Center.



2. Slide the tuner’s USB plug into a USB port. Windows usually recognizes newly installed USB devices and sets them up to work correctly. If you don’t see the words “Device Installed Successfully,” install the tuner’s software, which should contain the right drivers.



3. Visit the manufacturer’s Web site and download the latest setup software for your model of TV tuner, and run that software instead of the CD included in the box. (It’s more up-to-date.) Also, some TV tuners come with their own TV-viewing software. Instead of installing that bundled program, however, run a piece of software called “Windows Media Center Kit setup,” if you see one. That kit lets you control the tuner through Windows 7’s Media Center, instead of the bundled viewer.



4. Set up the remote, if included. USB TV tuners usually have the receiver built into their box. Aim the remote control at the little box’s built-in receiver when changing channels. (The remote control included with this particular tuner only works with its own recording software; it doesn’t work with Windows 7 Media Player.)

When you’re through connecting the tuner, you need to connect your TV signal: Without a TV signal, you won’t see any TV shows.

The tuner described here comes with an antenna that screws onto the tuner. If you live within range of a broadcast station, that’s all you need to grab a few HDTV channels.

If you’re out of range, though, you need to connect the tuner to your cable signal, described next.

Step 2: Connect a TV signal to your TV tuner

This part’s easy, as the vast majority of TV tuners grab a TV signal only one way: through a coaxial port: a little threaded plug that lets you screw a connector onto it. If your room already has an unused coaxial cable poking out through the wall, screw it onto your tuner’s coaxial port. That’s it!

But if that coaxial cable’s already being hogged by a TV or cable box, then you need a splitter: a cheap little gadget that splits one cable into two, letting one end stay plugged into your TV or cable box, while the other plugs into your computer’s tuner. They’re available at nearly any store that sells TVs.

Installing a splitter is cheap, easy, and lets your TV work normally, even when your computer’s recording a different channel.

Follow these steps to install a splitter, which magically turns one cable into two: One for your computer, and the other for your TV or cable box. Here’s how

1. Unplug the coaxial cable from the RF or VHF\UHF “In” port on your cable box or TV. Found on the back of every TV and cable box, that coax port accepts the signal from a TV cable that runs from either the wall or an antenna. You may need a pair of pliers to loosen the connector from the port on the back of your TV or cable box; your fingers can handle the rest.


Unplug the coax cable from the back of your TV set or cable box.

2. Screw the coaxial cable’s connector into the end of the splitter with only one port (left). Coaxial cables should always screw onto a splitter; the push-on connectors tend to fall off. On the splitter’s other end, connect the coax cable for your cable box or TV set, as well as your computer’s TV tuner (right).


Plug your TV cable into the splitter's single port; plug two cables into the other end, one for your computer, and one for your TV.

3. Plug one of your two new cables back into the spot where you unplugged it in Step 1, on either your TV or cable box. Then plug the other end into your TV tuner’s coaxial port . The splitter then lets your TV keep its same connection, so it still receives the same channels. Plus, your computer receives all the channels, as well.


Plug the TV cable into your TV tuner.

4. Fire up Windows 7′s Windows Media Center, follow the setup screens to tell the program about your tuner, and start watching TV on your computer.

Once you’ve connected your new tuner to a signal and set up Media Center, you can watch TV on your computer. You won’t receive high-definition signals, but most cable companies broadcast channels 2-99 in regular definition.
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Photo by dno1967 from Flickr

A: When writing information to your hard drive, Windows usually breaks the files into pieces, stuffing them into whatever empty space it can find.

When retrieving a file, Windows rummages for those scattered pieces, which takes a little time. To speed things up, Windows includes a disk defragmentation program: The program gathers up all those scattered bits, and files them away next to each other, so Windows can grab them more quickly.

Unlike early Windows versions, Windows 7 automatically defragments your drives every week, usually at 1 am on Wednesday. (Early Windows versions made you run the Disk Defragmentation program manually, a chore many people simply forgot about.)

You can see Windows 7′s automated defragmentation schedule (and make sure that it’s running on schedule) by following these steps:

1. Click the Start button and click Control Panel.



2. Click System and Security.



3. In the Administrative Tools section, click Defragment your hard drive.

There, you’ll see a list of all your drives, with their defragmentation percentage. (If Windows 7 has been working its defragmentation magic automatically, as it should, you’ll see “0% fragmented,” along with the time and date the defragmention program last worked.

If you don’t leave your computer turned on in the evenings, though, the defragmentation program won’t be able to run. If that’s the case, tell Windows 7 to defragment the drives at a different time, perhaps during your lunch hour when you’re away, but your PC’s still turned on.

To do that, click the Configure Schedule button.

There, you can choose a different time or day; schedule the defragmentation to take place daily, weekly, or monthly; or even tell Windows to defragment different disks on different schedules.

Click OK after making any changes.

What do you do with your old computer once you’ve bought your new one? With a little creativity, you can salvage a lot of it. That makes you a recycler in the truest sense of the word, giving new life to your old computer’s parts.

For example, I turned my old computer’s hard drive into a portable hard drive for about $20. Portable hard drives work very well for making backups and system images.

Follow these steps to create a portable hard drive from any hard drive: one from your old computer, a new hard drive, or a drive that’s just gathering dust in your closet:

1. Look to see whether your old hard drive uses the smaller SATA connectors (below, left) or the wider IDE (below, right) connectors, so you can buy the right type of case. Don’t know what type your of drive your computer has? Remove your computer’s case and look at the drive’s connectors, shown below. If you’re using a laptop’s drive, buy a case meant for a 2.5-inch drive; desktop drives need cases for 3.5-inch drives.



2. Buy either a SATA or an IDE portable hard drive enclosure that fits your drive’s size, either desktop (3.5″) or laptop (2.5″). My older computer used IDE drives, as do most older desktop computers, so I bought a Rosewill enclosure (below) from Newegg for $19.99. More expensive enclosures come with more padding, making them safer for travel. Cooling fans also increase the cost, but help the drive to last longer, especially if it’s meant to run constantly.



3. Remove your old computer’s hard drive (below); it’s held in place by two cables and either two or four screws. Then slide it out (below) from the front of your opened computer.



4. Take apart the portable hard drive enclosure from its box (below). The enclosure consists of two main parts: A long rectangular box, and a detachable connector on one end. It will also come with a power supply, and a USB cable that plugs between the box and your computer’s USB port. Plus, you’ll find a few screws for holding the drive in place, and putting the enclosure together.



5. Connect your old drive to the enclosure’s connectors, fastening both its power cable and its data cable (below). The two cables only fit into their proper spots, and they only fit one way – the right way.



6. Screw the drive into place on the connector’s rails (below). Then slide the drive into the aluminum box, and screw the enclosure together with the bundled screws.



7. Plug your new portable hard drive’s adapter into the wall, plug the power adapter into the drive, then plug the portable drive’s USB cable into your computer’s USB port. Finally, turn your drive on with the enclosure’s On switch. The drive will show up as a new letter and drive icon in your Start menu’s Computer window, ready for action. It will even have all your old computer’s files still on it, ready to be scavenged should you need them.

Want to delete everything from your old drive and start over with an empty hard drive? Then right-click its icon and choose Format, and click the Start button.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hitting the shelves this September, Upgrading and Fixing Computers Do-It-Yourself For Dummies features easy step-by-step guides with photos that help you upgrade and maintain your computer, laptop, or netbook.

The book is now available for pre-order on Amazon.

Windows 7’s Backup and Restore program lets you create a “System Image,” as well as a regular backup. Different from a regular backup, System Image contains everything on your computer’s C drive: your activated copy of Windows and your installed programs, as well as your files and libraries.

A portable hard drive is the perfect receptacle for a System Image, as you can keep the portable drive in a safe location, far from any hazards that may befall your PC. (I really like the Western Digital “Passport” drive I bought at Costco, shown in the margin.)

When your C drive eventually dies or you’re hankering to upgrade to a bigger, faster Windows drive, a System Image is your best friend. Here’s how to create one:

1. Plug a portable hard drive into your computer’s USB port. No portable hard drive? You can still choose to save your System Image to either a second internal drive in your PC or to a network location. Those areas aren’t perfect backup locations, but they’re better than nothing.
2. Click on the Start button, choose Control Panel, and choose Backup Your Computer from the System and Security section. Then choose “Create a System Image” from the left pane, shown below:



3. Choose where you want to save the image: a hard drive, a handful of DVDs, or on a network location. Click the “On a hard disk” drop-down menu, choose your portable hard drive, and choose Next. (Your hard drive will probably have a different letter than the one in the figure below.)



4. Click Next at the following window, which confirms that you’re creating a System Image of your “(C:) (System)” partition, which is where Windows and your files live. Then click Start Backup; the backup takes about a half hour for each 100 GB of files, but you can continue working while backing up.
5. When the backup finishes, take up Windows’ offer to Create a Bootable Repair Disk: Insert a blank CD into your CD/DVD burner, and follow the instructions.

Later, if your C drive dies or you’ve replaced it with a larger hard drive, you can insert the repair disk into your CD or DVD drive, and turn on your PC. Your PC boots from the CD, and offers an option to restore your system image backup. Take it up on its offer, browse to your saved System Image, and let Windows 7 put itself – and your data — back onto your hard drive to bring everything back to normal.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hitting the shelves this September, Upgrading and Fixing Computers Do-It-Yourself For Dummies features easy step-by-step guides with photos that help you upgrade and maintain your computer, laptop, or netbook.

The book is now available for pre-order on Amazon.

Q:

How do I do this? Do I need a professional?

A: Today’s huge hard disks can be sliced up in a zillion different ways by dividing them into partitions. In plain language, a partition is simply a portion of the drive’s space.

Some people divide their computer’s hard drive into a single huge partition — the C: partition — and work from there. Others like to divide their hard drive into two or more partitions, keeping Windows on the C: partition, and saving the D: partition for bulky files like digital photos, movies or music.

In your case, you want to delete your D partition, and expand the C partition to fit the entire drive. Windows XP can’t handle this task by itself, but Windows Vista and Windows 7 can both handle the job fairly easily when you follow these steps:

1. Copy everything you want to save from your D: drive to your C: drive. (Or back it up to CDs or DVDs, because deleting the a partition erases its files.)
2. Click the Start button, right-click Computer, and choose Manage.
3. When the Computer Management window appears, choose Disk Management from the Storage area.
4. Right-click your D: partition and choose Delete Volume from the pop-up menu as shown below. (Click Yes at the confirmation prompt.)



5. Right-click your C: partition and choose Extend Volume from the pop-up menu.
6. When the Extend Volume Wizard appears, click Next at the opening screen, then click Next again to expand the C: drive to fill the room left by the now-deleted D: drive.
7. Click Finish to tell the Extend Volume Wizard to finish the job of extending the C: drive to fill the available space.

When you’re through, your C: partition will consume your entire drive.

Q:

A: The simplest way to disable the Caps Lock key is to whittle down a small wine cork or pencil eraser, and slide it beneath the key so it can’t be pressed. A small piece of folded cardboard might work, as well.

It’s a simple trick that’s worked well for me. That said, you can find some programs to disable the Caps Lock key on the Internet.

Q:

A: A group of companies created “Bluetooth” as a way of creating “cable-less” gadgets. Wireless computing, lets you connect to the Internet from several hundred feet away; Bluetooth, by contrast, has a range of a few feet. But that’s fine for a mouse, cell phone, keyboard, or other commonly used gadgets.

Many laptops come with Bluetooth built-in. To give your desktop PC those same Bluetooth powers, simply plug a Bluetooth adapter into one of your desktop PC’s USB ports. Available on Amazon and many computer stores, the adapters let your PC exchange information with Bluetooth devices like your mouse. Bluetooth adapters are fairly inexpensive, and since they plug into a USB port, you can also easily move it to whichever of your PCs you happen to be using at the time.