Easy, hard way to network PCs

Question:

I have two computers for our small business: a desktop and a notebook, both running XP. I would like to network them. They are in the same room, and I do not want to go online to work on files from one computer to the other. My Internet connection is dial-up. How do I hook up the two to work?

- Don Farmer inottawa.com

Answer: There is an easy way, and then there is the Microsoft way to do this bit of rudimentary networking.

The easy way is to go out and find a product designed to connect one computer to another computer using a cord that plugs into the USB ports on both machines.

Since you don't want to mess around with sharing the Internet connection, a USB cable will let you do all of the things that usually are done over networks, such as share files, printers, scanners and other devices, and play interactive games.

A Web search using the term "USB connect" will yield a good number of sellers of these devices. The first one that came up in my own search, called USB Direct Connect from Belkin International Inc., was $49.99. That includes the cable with identical USB plugs on both ends and the driver software needed to make the computers recognize it. I have used any number of these devices through the years and always found them fast and formidable for moving files or sharing them among two computers.

The more complex, Microsoft way is to use an Ethernet networking cable called a Cat 5e Patch cord to connect through conventional LAN networking ports on motherboards or cards. The computers are linked using formal network protocols, and Windows includes a Network Setup Wizard that kind of walks you through this somewhat unconventional link-up process.

Begin by clicking on Start, then All Programs, next Accessories, and, finally, open the Communications folder. There you will find the Network Setup Wizard. Run it, and follow the instructions until you reach the point where you are asked to select a connection method. Since the options don't include a simple patch-cord link, select Other.

In the next display, select the button for a network that does not have an Internet connection. If you get a pop-up box offering to search for network connections, select Yes. Otherwise, follow the prompts to make sure there is a different name for each computer and both belong to the same work group, which is MSHOME by default. There will be other prompts, but just click Next for each of them.

A Wizard prompt will say, "You are almost done." At that point, leave the first computer and go to the second one and follow the same steps.

Then, click Next on both machines, and the network will be created. Now, you must designate individual folders you want to share between the computers. Give each folder a right-click and then select Sharing and Security in the drop-down menu. You then can check a box to share the folder.

Q:

I'm desperate for your help. My Adobe Reader 7.0.8 for displaying PDF files in my browser does not work. I have tried to update to 8.0, but I am unable. I get a message saying that the older version of Adobe cannot be removed. I've also tried to remove Adobe Reader using the Add or Remove Programs tool. I couldn't remove it.

- Carl Mathisen hotmail.com

A: Your best bet is to go back and reinstall whatever earlier version of the Adobe Reader you are trying to upgrade. This will write all of the required code for that version over all remaining remnants and restore whatever is corrupted or missing.

Point your browser to www.adobe. com, and, when the home page comes up, click on the Downloads option in the main tool bar, which brings up a drop-down list that includes Get Adobe Reader. Click that, and in the page that comes up, you will find an option to Choose a Different Version. Select this, and you'll get a display that lets you go back to earlier versions. Download and install it.

Now, reboot your computer, and, once again, click on Start and Control Panel, then Add or Remove Programs to get the list that will include a pristine copy of the older software. It will be removed easily, paving the way for the clean version 8 upload that has eluded you until now.