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 […]

Q: When buying a new Hewlett Packard computer online, I customized it for the most power. 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 […]

Q: Yesterday I built a desktop computer from parts that I’ve acquired over the past few years. 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 […]

(This is the fourth in a series of posts covering information taken from my latest book, Upgrading and Fixing Computers Do-It-Yourself For Dummies.) 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. […]

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 […]