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Question:
I switched my Dell PC from Windows Vista to Windows XP
in order to go from a dial-up Internet connection to a
faster broadband connection from
AT&T
. Now I want to go back to dial-up access to save money,
but I can't make XP work with the modem. I keep getting
a "692" hardware error message and no modem
dial tone. What can I do to make the modem work? Or, if
I removed Windows XP, would Vista come back so I could
easily use dial-up?
Answer:
The error code 692 just means your modem isn't working.
It worked with Vista because you had a Vista-compatible
software driver pre-installed on your PC.
To make
the modem work with XP, you need to download
XP-compatible driver software. (You can get someone to
download it, then transfer it to your PC with a portable
flash drive.) Ask Dell to tell you the modem's
manufacturer and model number so you can find the right
website, then search for an XP driver for that modem.
Uninstalling
Windows XP won't bring Vista back; you'd have to
reinstall it with the Vista disk. But back up your data
first, because it will be deleted.
———
Q: When I
try to change my PC settings back to the way they were
on
Aug. 9
using Windows System Restore, I get a failure message.
Why did it fail?
A: One of
several reasons.
Is System
Restore turned on? (To find out, and turn it on if
necessary, go to Start, Control Panel, System and System
Protection.)
If it's
on, your ability to roll your PC back to an earlier time
will be limited to the dates on which "restore
points" were created. Windows generates restore
points at regular intervals, or whenever you install new
software.
But
restore points are saved for only 90 days, and Windows
may delete some restore points sooner if it needs the
disk space or for some other reasons. For details, go to
support.microsoft.com/kb/301224.
———
Q: I use
a
Wi-Fi wireless
router at home, and it has a built-in firewall. Will
that protect my PC, or should it also have a firewall?
A: Safe
computing requires that every computer have its own
firewall. Find the free ZoneAlarm firewall at
tinyurl.com/5vtzry.
Note:
Several readers reported trouble with the "tinyurl"
substitutes I use for long Web addresses. Remember, you
can't type them into
Google
or any other search engine; instead, type them into the
Web browser's address window.
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