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| Introduction | |
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| Why Is My PC All Gunked Up? | |
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| Types of Gunk | |
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| Hazards of Internal Gunk | |
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| And Then There's External Gunk | |
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| So, Now What? | |
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| Can Degunking Your PC Really Help? | |
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| Understanding How Gunked Up You Really Are | |
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| Let's Talk About Serious Gunk | |
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| Too Many Peripherals and Connections | |
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| Be Wary of Nonfunctional, Outdated, Unnecessary, or Duplicate Hardware | |
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| Other Common Gunk Signs | |
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| Your Hardware Is So Dusty and Dirty That You Are Afraid to Have Visitors | |
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| Your PC Is Working against You and Not for You | |
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| You're Still on Dial-Up | |
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| You Have Multiple Computers That Aren't Networked | |
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| Backups Are Randomly Created and Not Organized | |
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| Living with Slow Performance | |
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| Summing Up | |
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| Degunking Your PC | |
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| The Proven Method for Degunking Your PC | |
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| Important Questions to Ask Yourself | |
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| Physically Cleaning Your PC | |
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| Managing Your Work Area | |
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| Managing Cords and Cables | |
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| Managing and Degunking Peripherals (and Computer Components) | |
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| Degunking Internet Connections | |
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| Wired Networking | |
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| Wireless Networking | |
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| Managing Backups and Archived Data | |
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| Enhancing Performance | |
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| Getting a New PC and Getting Rid of Old Equipment | |
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| Degunking Finesse | |
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| The Degunking 12-Step Program | |
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| Summing Up | |
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| Physically Cleaning Your PC and Peripherals | |
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| Clean Any Type of Monitor You Use | |
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| CRTs | |
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| Flat Panel LCDs | |
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| Clean Your Desktop Tower | |
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| Cables, Connectors, and the Outside of the Tower | |
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| Cleaning the Inside of the Tower | |
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| Putting It All (Back) Together | |
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| Clean Your Laptop | |
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| Cleaning the Outside | |
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| Cleaning the Inside | |
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| Clean Your Keyboard and Mouse | |
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| Cleaning Your Keyboard | |
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| Cleaning Your Traditional Rolling Ball Mouse | |
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| Clean Your Printers, Nozzles, and Printer Heads | |
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| Preventing Printer Problems | |
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| Cleaning Ink-Jet Printers | |
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| Cleaning Laser Printers | |
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| Clean Your Scanners, Web Cams, and Camera Lenses | |
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| More about Scanners | |
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| Maintenance Schedule for Physically Cleaning the PC | |
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| Summing Up | |
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| Degunking and Configuring Your PC Work Area | |
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| Choose a Flat-Screen Monitor | |
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| Making the Purchase | |
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| Hide (or Remove) Your Speakers | |
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| Hiding Separate Speakers | |
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| Getting an LCD Monitor's Speakers to Work | |
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| Specialty Speakers | |
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| Hide the Tower | |
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| Organize Your Printers and Scanners | |
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| Dealing with Multiple Printers (Including Fax Machines) | |
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| Hiding Scanners | |
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| All-in-One Units | |
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| Get Organized with Wireless Keyboards and Mice | |
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| Choosing the Perfect Wireless Equipment | |
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| Using TweakUl for More Control | |
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| Get a Gel Pad and Other Equipment | |
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| Remove Peripherals | |
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| Use Power Strips, Surge Protectors, and UPS Devices | |
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| Purchasing the Best Equipment | |
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| Hiding Surge Protectors | |
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| UPS Devices | |
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| Clean Up Your Hubs, Switches, and Routers and Ensuing Gunk | |
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| Hiding Hardware | |
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| Cable Ties and Stapling | |
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| Split Tubing Flexible Conduit | |
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| How Not to Treat Network Cables | |
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| Media Centers and the Cable Mess They Produce | |
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| Extra Connections and Cables | |
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| Extra Peripherals | |
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| Distance and Placement Issues | |
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| Degunking Your Virtual Work Area | |
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| Summing Up | |
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| Degunking Your Main PC Components | |
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| Degunk and Configure Your Monitor | |
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| Configuring the Correct Resolution for Your Needs | |
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| Changing DPI Settings, Default Icons, and Color Schemes | |
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| Overriding IE Defaults | |
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| The Myth about Screen Savers | |
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| Configure Your PC | |
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| Getting Service Packs and Windows Updates | |
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| Updating Device Drivers | |
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| Additional PC Configuration Gunk | |
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| Set Up CD and DVD Burners | |
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| Software That's Needed and Software That Isn't | |
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| Degunk Your Photos (and Printers) | |
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| You May Have (or Have Had) Several Printers | |
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| Start with a Good Image | |
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| Choosing the Most Reliable Inks | |
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| Choosing the Best Papers | |
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| Setting Printer Defaults | |
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| Summing Up | |
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| Degunking Your Peripherals | |
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| Degunk Your Cameras and Web Cams | |
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| Make the Proper Connections | |
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| Have Extra Memory Cards, Batteries, and Tapes | |
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| Uploading Images Responsibly | |
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| Keep Track of All Your Photos by Labeling Them | |
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| Degunk Your Scanner | |
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| It's Not Always about the Resolution | |
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| Make Sure the Scanner Has What It Needs | |
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| Degunk PDAs and Pocket PCs | |
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| Quick Tips for Improving Your Experience with Your Handheld Device | |
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| Data and File Synchronization | |
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| Avoid Smart Displays | |
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| Degunking Tasks for Your Smart Display and Other Options | |
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| Summing Up | |
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| Untangling Your USB and FireWire Connections | |
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| Understand How USB Works | |
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| Understand the Four Flavors of USB | |
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| USB 1.1 | |
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| USB 2.0 | |
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| USB On-The-Go | |
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| Determine If Your PC Is Fast Enough for USB 2.0 | |
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| How Fast Is Your USB Port? | |
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| What Windows Can Tell You about Your USB Ports | |
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| Testing USB Ports with Dedicated Hardware | |
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| USB Peripherals: Look at the Box! | |
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| Know the Details of USB 1.1 and 2.0 Compatibility | |
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| Understand the Problems of USB Hubs | |
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| USB's First Big Hub Gotcha: Splitting Bandwidth | |
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| USB's Second Big Hub Gotcha: Root Hubs | |
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| USB's Third Big Hub Gotcha: Isochronous Devices | |
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| USB's Fourth Big Hub Gotcha: USB 1.1 Devices on USB 2.0 Hubs | |
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| USB's Fifth Big Hub Gotcha: Powering Devices from Hubs | |
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| The USB Thumb Drive Power Problem | |
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| Avoid USB Hub Problems | |
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| Use the Correct USB Cables and Cable Length | |
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| Active USB Extension Cables | |
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| Shielded Cables and USB Cable Care | |
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| What If a USB Device Doesn't Install? | |
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| Use FireWire Effectively | |
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| FireWire vs. USB | |
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| Power Struggle: FireWire, USB, and Hink | |
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| Tips for Using FireWire Effectively | |
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| Summing Up | |
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| Setting Up a Basic Network for Sharing Dial-Up Internet Connections | |
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| Understand the Basic Ethernet Hardware Requirements | |
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| Network Interface Cards and Ethernet Cables | |
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| Hubs, Switches, and Routers | |
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| Make the Physical Connections | |
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| Set Up Internet Connection Sharing | |
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| Setting Up Internet Connection Sharing | |
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| Security Issues to Consider | |
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| Antivirus Software | |
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| Spyware and Adware | |
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| Schedule for Securing Your PC with Third-Party Software | |
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| Degunk Your Own Surfing Habits to Stay Safe | |
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| The Tech Side of Internet Connection Sharing, Dial-Up, Routers, and Broadband Connections | |
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| ICS and Dial-Up | |
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| Routers and Broadband | |
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| Summing Up | |
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| Moving to DSL or Cable Internet | |
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| Understand How Broadband Works | |
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| High-Speed Cable Internet | |
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| DSL | |
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| Explore Other High-Speed Internet Options | |
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| Satellite | |
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| Point-To-Point Wireless | |
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| Other Options | |
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| Choose a Broadband Provider | |
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| What's Available in Your Area Could Be a Limitation | |
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| How Much Do You Want to Pay? | |
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| Popular and Trusted Providers | |
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| Set Up a Broadband Modem | |
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| Rent or Purchase | |
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| Don't Spend Too Much | |
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| Set Up Your Hardware | |
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| Self-Installation vs. Professional Installation | |
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| Setting Up a Single Computer with Broadband | |
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| Common Problems | |
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| How to Get More Information | |
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| Share Your Broadband Connection with a Router | |
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| The Router: All You Need to Know | |
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| Rent or Lease? Self-Install or Not? | |
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| Installing the Router | |
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| Should You Use a Single LAN Port Cable/DSL Router with an Existing Hub or Switch? | |
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| Get Better Performance from Your Broadband Connection | |
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| Cleaning Up Internet Explorer | |
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| Keeping Hard Drives Clean and Organized | |
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| Degunking on a Schedule | |
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| Summing Up | |
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| Creating Gunk-Free Wired Networks | |
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| Understand IP-Based Networking | |
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| Packets Carried by Services on Roads | |
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| IP Addresses | |
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| Physical Links | |
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| How It Works | |
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| Learn Where IP Addresses Come From | |
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| Requesting an IP address from a DHCP Server | |
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| Getting an IP Address from APIPA | |
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| Determine What Your PC's IP Address Is | |
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| Connect Two PCs via cable | |
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| Use an Ethernet Crossover Cable to Connect Two PCs | |
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| If the Ethernet Crossover Connection Doesn't Work | |
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| Use a FireWire Cable to Connect Two PCs | |
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| Direct Connections via USB and Special Cables | |
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| Your Last Resort: Connecting through Serial Port Cables | |
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| Understand Why Routers Are Better Than Hubs | |
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| Hubs: The Choke Point in the Middle | |
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| Switches: Momentary Data Superhighways | |
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| Routers: A Switch and the Internet Too! | |
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| Why You Should Have a Router-Even With Only One PC | |
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| The MAC Address Authorization Problem | |
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| Cloning Your MAC Address | |
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| Get the Scoop on Network Cables | |
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| What Not to Do with Ethernet Cables | |
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| Installing Your Own Network Cabling | |
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| Learn How to Measure Your Network's Throughput | |
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| How QCheck Works | |
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| Selecting Endpoints for Throughput Tests | |
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| Performing Throughput Tests | |
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| Interpreting Your Test Results | |
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| What About Gigabit Ethernet? | |
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| Is Your Network Adapter Autonegotiating? | |
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| Summing Up | |
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| Going Wireless While Staying Gunk-Less | |
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| Understand How Wireless Systems Work | |
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| Wireless-A vs. Wireless-B vs. Wireless-G | |
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| Wireless Hubs and Wireless Routers | |
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| Wireless Client Adapters | |
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| The Two Uses of Wi-Fi | |
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| Wireless Range and Dead Spots | |
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| Don't Mix Wireless-B and Wireless-G in the Same Network! | |
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| Choose the Best Wireless Networking Setup | |
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| Wireless Access Point or Wireless Router? | |
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| The "85% Network" | |
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| Adding a Wireless Access Point to an Existing Wired Network | |
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| Change Your SSID | |
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| SSIDs and Network Identity | |
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| Turn On Encryption | |
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| Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) vs. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) | |
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| WEP Keys and Passphrases | |
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| Advice from the Trenches | |
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| Audit Your Wireless Network's Field | |
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| Things That Cast Microwave Shadows | |
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| Auditing Your Wi-Fi Field with a Laptop | |
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| Finessing Dead Spots | |
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| Eliminate (or Avoid) Wireless Interference | |
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| Who Shares the Band with Wi-Fi? | |
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| How Do You Detect Interference? | |
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| Cordless Phone Interference | |
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| Microwave Oven Interference | |
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| Bluetooth Conflicts | |
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| Other Wi-Fi Networks | |
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| Moving to Another Channel | |
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| Your Last Resort: Wireless-A | |
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| Consider HomePlug Powerline Networking | |
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| Combining HomePlug with Wi-Fi | |
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| Summing Up | |
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| Degunking Your Backup Strategy | |
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| Choose a Backup Device | |
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| The Simplicity of CD and DVD Drives | |
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| Opting for an External Hard Drive | |
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| Using Microsoft Backup | |
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| Purchasing Third-Party Hardware and Software | |
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| Select What to Back Up | |
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| Know What to Back Up and How to Back It Up | |
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| Perform the Backup | |
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| Burning CDs and DVDs | |
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| Dragging and Dropping to an External Drive | |
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| Using (and Scheduling) the Windows Backup Utility | |
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| Know How Often to Back Up and What to Back Up | |
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| Test and Organize Backed-Up Data | |
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| Testing and Organizing CD and DVD Collections | |
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| Testing and Organizing an External Hard Drive | |
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| Testing and Organizing Windows Backups | |
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| Restore Data from Backups | |
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| Restoring Personal Data from CDs, DVDs, and External Hard Drives | |
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| Restoring Mail and Internet Data | |
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| Restoring Application-Specific Files | |
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| Restoring with Microsoft Backup | |
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| Summing Up | |
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| Enhancing PC and Media Performance | |
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| Add RAM to Enhance Performance | |
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| Physical Installation | |
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| Upgrade the CPU | |
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| Install a TV Tuner Card | |
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| Meeting System Requirements and Installing the Card | |
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| Installing the Software | |
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| Configuring and Troubleshooting the Remote | |
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| Upgrade Video and Sound Cards | |
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| Selecting a Card | |
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| Installing the Card | |
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| Configure Hardware Profiles | |
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| Tweaking the System | |
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| Tweak Effects, Processor Scheduling, and Memory Usage | |
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| Tweak Virtual Memory Settings | |
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| Enhance Media Performance | |
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| Tweak Computer Performance | |
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| Use Free Media Player PowerToys and Plug-Ins | |
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| Secure Windows Media Player | |
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| Summing Up | |
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| Get Rid of Unwanted Hardware and Degunk Your New PC | |
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| Get Rid of Unnecessary or Outdated Hardware | |
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| Choosing a Family Member | |
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| Selecting a Charity, School, or Organization | |
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| Sell the Hardware | |
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| As a Last Resort, Contact City Services | |
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| Degunk Your New PC | |
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| Free Trials | |
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| Software from the Manufacturer, Third-Party Software, Duplicate Software | |
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| Summing Up | |
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| Index | |