Web User - UK (2019-05-29)

66 29 May - 11 June 2019

Ask the Expert

Roland Waddilove, computer programmer andPC

journalist since1981, answers all your technical questions.

Email us for help at [email protected]

GENERAL PC

Solve connectionand

installation problems

Q

MyToshiba laptopdisplays a

message sayingthere is nointernet

connection, yet in the taskbar it says I’m

connectedat 400Mbps. I downloaded

Windows10 32-bit to a USB memory

stick for my32-bit PCand got the

message: “E:/setup.exe is not avalid

W32 application”. Help!

Emily Munro, via email

A

A PCconnects to the internet via a

router, which means you can have a

working Wi-Fi or wired connection of

400Mbps because the PCcan access

the router andlocal network, but no

internet access because the router isn’t

connected to your ISP.

Try turning everythingoff, including

the router, then ensure all plugsare in

their sockets andturn it all back on

again. The router should automatically

connect to the internet, while the

computer connects to the router.

Computers have been64-bit for years,

but they can run32-bit operating

systems andsoftware. You can choose

either, but 64-bit Windowsis preferable

to 32-bit. We’re not sure how you’ve put

Windows10 32-bit ona USB device, but

the correct methodis to download and

runthe media creationtool fromthe

Microsoft website ( bit.ly/mct476).

This lets you choose the version of

Windows10 to install andthe device to

install it from. For example, you can

copythe Windowsinstallationfilesto a

USB memory drive, thenboot fromthe

device instead of the hard drive. You

don’t run E:\setup.exe.

Your computer may automatically

detect the USB device on startup and

showanoptionto boot fromit, or you

may needto pressa functionkeyto

select the boot device – the choice

varies with the PCmanufacturer, so look

out whenyou reboot the PCas the first

screenmay tell you which keyit is.

Otherwise, try F1 through F12 or search

online for the keyto use.

NETWORKING

GetWi-Fi on anoldlaptop

Q

In Issue 473 (bit.ly/webuser473),

you showed how to install

CloudReady (bit.ly/clre476) onan

old laptop. I’ve donethis but it won’t

let meconnect to myBTrouter. Tojoin

the Wi-Fi network, it asks for the

connection details, so I enter the

router’s name, WEP andpassword.

However, whenI thenclick Connect,

it comes back with “Badpassword”.

Can you help?

Neil Porter, via email

A

Use another computer, phone or

tablet to access the router bytyping

its IP address (it’s usually 192.168.1.254).

Log in andfindthe Wi-Fi security

settings. Try turning off password

protectionto see if your CloudReady

computer can connect (it probably will).

Thentry eachof the Wi-Fi security

options: WPA2is the most commonly

usedthese days, but avoid WEP which

is anold standard that peoplestopped

using over 10 years ago andsome

modern devices nolonger support.

Manylaptops have a keyto turn Wi-Fi

onandoff. Make sure Wi-Fi is on, then

turn it off, wait a few seconds andturn it

back on. This sometimes gets the

network working again. Resetting the

laptopsometimes works: power it off,

take out the battery and mains power

lead, hold downthe power buttonfor

30 seconds and put the battery and

power cable back in. Start it andsee if

the Wi-Fi is working.

If nothing works, try plugging in a

USB Wi-Fi adapter. You can pickupa

budget modelfor around£10 to £15.

Q

MyWindows7 Homedesktop PC

has a3.3GHzprocessor with 8GB

of memory and about 130GB of free

hard-drive space. I also have anAsus

netbook(EeePCX101H)I upgraded

to Windows10 Home, but there’s no

installationdisc. I’m concernedbythe

approachingdemise of Windows 7

andwonderif I can transfer Windows

10 frommynetbookto myPC?

Andy Jennings, via email

A

Backuptools suchas EaseUS

TodoBackupFree (www

.easeus.com) andBackupper ( www

.backup-utility.com) create a

complete image of your hard drive

andcan beusedto transfer the

contents of one drive to another. They

are idealif you are replacing afaulty

hard drive in a PCwith anew one, but

you’ll runinto licence problemsif you

try to transfer Windowsto a new

computer. If your PCcamewith

Windowspreinstalled, it is only

licensedto beusedonthat computer

andyou can’t move it to another one.

You have two options. If you carry

onusing Windows7 onyour desktop

PC, you won’t receive updates from

Microsoft whensupport ends, but

goodsecurity softwarewill keepit

safe from malware. The otheroptionis

to pay for aWindows10 licence, then

download andinstall it using the

media creationtool (bit.ly/mct476).

Upgrade a PC from

Windows 7

GENERAL PC

You need a licence to install Windows

with the free media creation tool

Use the media creation tool to create

installation discs or drives for Windows 10