Q: I’ve read the networking chapter in your Windows Vista For Dummies book, and now my Windows Vista computers can share the files in their Public folders. However, I cannot get the Windows Vista computers to share any of their other folders. How do I make this happen?

A: Unlike Windows XP, Windows Vista complicates the sharing of folders on a home network. Windows XP let you share nearly any folder fairly easily. Windows Vista, by contrast, expects people to share only one folder: the Public folder and its contents. (Windows 7’s new Homegroup system simplifies sharing considerably.)

As Microsoft’s designers intended, Vista’s sharing method keeps your files and folders more secure. When you deliberately place something into a folder named Public, you know you’re making it up for grabs.

These restrictions can be too much for small home networks, though, where you want your computers to share nearly everything easily and without restrictions.

To give everybody network access to a particular folder on your Windows Vista computer, follow these steps: Click to read more »

Photo by Silgeo on Flickr

Q: I am 84 years of age and hooked on computers which I find indispensable in daily life.

I often come across problems for which no answer seems available, even with advice from younger ones. Am I expecting too much from this wonderful machine, or is there an answer somewhere?

A: Yes, there is an answer out there to your computing problems. Unfortunately, finding just the right answer can be quite difficult and time-consuming.

The problem is that many people buy computers from many different manufacturers, who build their computers from many different sets of parts. As a result, nearly everybody’s computer runs a slightly different set of parts, as well as software.

Almost everybody’s computer is unique, with its own set of incompatibilities and problems. And that’s why you’re seeing problems not found by others. Rejoice in your uniqueness!

Seriously, though, I have three pieces of advice:

• Write down the exact wording of any error messages you see.
• Search for that exact error message on Google.
• Visit the search results until you find somebody who’s stumbled upon an answer and kindly posted that answer on the web.

There are billions of people out there on the Internet. You just might find somebody with your exact computer’s configuration who’s posted an answer.

This Help page on Google searching might help you pluck your particular needle from the haystack. Mastering the art of pinpoint Google searching will go a long way in solving computer problems.

Q: How do I scan a document into Microsoft Word? I’ve scanned the document, and now I need to insert it into a document I’m working on. What do I do?

A: Unfortunately, scanning a document into Microsoft Word isn’t nearly as easy as it sounds.

Scanners work like cameras: They take a photograph of your document.

Microsoft Word, by contrast, works with text — letters and words you can edit.

In order to convert the photograph to text, you need something called Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. OCR software doesn’t come with any version of Windows, but some scanners toss in a copy with their bundled software.

The full-fledged-and-expensive Microsoft Office package, which includes Microsoft Word, also comes with OCR software called “Microsoft Office Document Imaging.”

After you scan your page using your scanner’s Grayscale setting, run the OCR software, which examines the picture, and guesses at what words are printed. Then it saves those words in a text file, which you can open with Word.

Even the best OCR software makes mistakes, unfortunately, due to smudges on the page, closely spaced letters, page creases, and similar discrepancies. Some have trouble recognizing pages that are separated into two columns of text; others are confused by graphics.

So, even when your OCR works, you’ll still need to proofread your text meticulously for errors, especially those dastardly words that slip past the spellcheckers.

The verdict? If you’re importing more than a few pages, OCR software can save you some time. But if you’re only scanning a page or two, it might be quicker to type it in by hand.

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

Many Windows XP programs run fine under Windows 7, but a few oldsters refuse to adjust to the new world of Windows 7. To help your old Windows XP programs keep gasping along, Microsoft released “Windows XP Mode.”

This free download lets you run Windows XP programs while sequestered inside their own Windows 7 window.

Even when running in their own happy Windows XP world, the Windows XP programs have access to your real computer’s files and disk drives, making for a peaceful coexistence with Windows 7.

Unfortunately, the first version of Windows XP mode required computers with a special type of CPU, leaving out many potential customers. Microsoft has upgraded its software to remove the CPU requirement, but Windows XP mode still only runs on Windows 7’s Enterprise, Professional, or Ultimate versions.

Follow these steps to install Windows XP Mode on your Windows 7 computer and begin running your holdout Windows XP programs within their own happy Windows XP world: Click to read more »

Q: I am running Windows 7 Home, and I need to print screen shots. The Print Screen button doesn’t work. What am I doing wrong?

A: When you press the Print Screen key, usually labeled “Prt Scr,” “Print Scr,” “PrtSc” or something similar, you won’t think anything has happened. It certainly won’t send your screen to the printer.

But in the background, Windows has sent a snapshot of your screen to the Clipboard, a little storage tank for informational tidbits. (Windows XP even lets you view the clipboard’s contents; later Windows versions don’t.)

In your case, since you want to print that snapshot, you should copy your snapshot into a graphics program like Paint. (Paint is a graphics program included with every version of Windows, including Windows 7.)

Follow these steps to print or save screenshots from within any version of Windows: Click to read more »