Reset wireless router, then write down and save the password
By BILL HUSTED
Cox News Service
August 10, 2008
Q: My daughter just bought a new laptop. We have a wireless system at our house, but I cannot remember the password to allow another computer to gain access to our network. The man who set this up for us is long gone. How can I find out my own access password?
— Ted Pilch
A: Just reset your wireless router. Most of them have a small button on the bottom that returns the router to original settings. You can check the manual that came with your router for specific instructions.
A lot of people get burned in the same way. My suggestion is to write down the new password information and save it.
Q: I purchased an Acer desktop. When I clicked on the Microsoft Word icon to type a business letter I found out I had a 3-month free subscription to Microsoft, but after that I have to pay. The cost is $149.99 to download Microsoft Office. I feel like I have been ripped off. Do you know of any free software or inexpensive software that I can download to my computer? I do not need the spreadsheets and all that office stuff, just something capable of writing a few business letters.
— Jenny Chambliss
A: I agree, it's a shoddy marketing tactic. Try OpenOffice. It will give you a near clone of Microsoft Office, including Word. Download it free at: http://openoffice.org-suite.com/
Q: In one of your recent columns VCRs were mentioned in conjunction with the impending cutover to digital TV signals. If I read it correctly, you wrote that VCRs would not work when the digital age begins. We use our VCR very frequently and would like to know if there is any remedy for its demise.
— Carol Long
A: Your VCR will continue to work, but it won't be able to record digital content without special equipment. You could equip it with one of the converter boxes marketed for analog televisions. These boxes receive a digital signal and convert it into an analog one.
There also are digital VCRs on the market. Use Google to find one if you'd like to continue using tape.
Please send your questions to Bill Husted at tecbud@ajc.com. While he reads every e-mail, not all are answered. E-mails are selected for publication based on the likelihood that the answers will be of general interest.
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