Upgrading & Fixing Laptops DUMmIES

4. The system should be able to detect a current installation of Windows
   XP; make sure it is highlighted and selected in the box onscreen and
   then press R to repair it.


5. Follow the succeeding instructions to reinstall Windows XP.

When the task is complete you may have to reactivate your copy of the

operating system by contacting Microsoft online and providing the

Product Key.

Your Wireless Network Has a Failure to Communicate...........................

WiFi rules, except when the conversation is strictly one way. Hello? Hello? Is

anyone out there? Wireless communication can be as simple as turn on and

tune in, but it can also be very frustrating if the conditions are not right or

the settings are improper. I go over many of the details in Chapter 13.

So what to do if your WiFi does not work? Don’t panic. Go back a paragraph

and consider those two essentials:

Turn on. Nearly every laptop with WiFi capabilities has a physical switch

on the case or a soft switch in software that enables or disables the

transmitter/receiver. This is important for several reasons: The device

uses power and you’ve no reason to devote battery resources when it is

not needed. Some locations may require you to turn off any wireless

device, including airliners in flight, hospitals, and some government or

military sites.

If your WiFi does not work, the first thing to do is check to see if it

turned on. Consult the instruction manual or support desk for assis-

tance if necessary.

Tune in. Just because you have a WiFi card doesn’t mean you’ll find a

signal everywhere you go. And just because you find a signal doesn’t

mean that the transmitter owner will allow anyone to sign on and share

the bandwidth.

You find three types of WiFi networks:

•A private networksuch as one set up within a home or business

and restricted to a particular set of users. The router associated

with the WiFi transceiver has a list of the unique identification

number assigned to WiFi cards permitted to use the system and

any other machine is not given access.

Chapter 20: Ten Quick Solutions 311