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Remember the old days of installing new hardware and peripheral devices? It was a royal pain involving a variety of steps. Simply installing a new mouse involved setup, configuration, and installation discs. In addition, settings such as IRQs, DMA channels, and jumper settings were typical of the pre-plug and play error. Now, all you have to do is insert the USB cable into a USB port and Windows does the rest (in theory that is).

Plug and Play became popular in 1995 with the release of Windows 95. Microsoft collaborated with hardware manufacturers to create a viable system. In order for plug and play to work, a computer and its BIOS, system hardware, peripheral hardware, and operating system must be plug and play compliant. This isn’t an issue with new, off-the-shelf computer systems. However, older computers, especially those made prior to 1995 will have plug and play problems.  

In essence, plug and play matches up the device drivers for recognized devices and installs the appropriate ones when a new device is plugged in. The Windows operating system has hundreds of device drivers available for plug and play devices. When it recognizes a new device, it knows which device driver to load. A few minutes or seconds later, the device is installed and ready to use.  

What happens if you buy a plug and play device and it doesn’t install? This can happen, especially if the device is relatively new and the computer hasn’t been updated in a while. For example, Windows Update downloads new drivers as they become available. If a new device requires a newer device driver and you haven’t updated your computer recently, it makes sense that your device won’t be detected properly.

Another common plug and play error can occur when device drivers overwrite shared DLL files with newer versions of DLL files. When this happens, other devices or software that use the older DLL files may no longer work properly. Whenever you install new hardware, regardless of whether it’s plug and play or not, it’s not a bad idea to create a System Restore point prior to the installation. That way, if the installation causes another program or device to fail, you can always restore your computer to the System Restore point.

To set a System Restore point, go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore. Create a Restore point by clicking on Open System Protection. Select your drive and click on Create. System Restore requires a disk of at least 1 GB in size with at least 300 MB of free space. Creating System Restore points can take up to 15% of your disk’s total space. As your disk becomes filled, older restore points are overwritten by newer ones.

Plug and play has made it easier to install new hardware and peripherals though problems do sneak in from time to time.

I’ve had both good luck and bad luck with USB devices. While I like how they are easy to plug in and that Windows usually recognizes them, I’ve had my fair share of bad connections and unrecognized devices. The problem when a USB device isn’t recognized is usually either related to a physical problem with the connection or a problem with device drivers.

For example, last year I purchased a new MP3 player and liked it so much, I bought a second one for my mom for her birthday. However, whenever I connected my MP3 player to my computer, it would disconnect intermittently. My mom’s worked fine on both her computer as well as mine. Had I not had two identical devices, I would have fiddled with my computer in an attempt to fix the problem. All this fiddling would have been in vain though because the problem had nothing to do with faulty device drivers and everything to do with a bad USB cable. I exchanged the MP3 player at the store and the new one worked right away.

So, what if the problem isn’t physical? What do you do about that? USB devices have been around for a while now but they are still relative newcomers to the personal computer. Bugs still creep in from time to time. In addition, as new devices are introduced, new drivers are used. If your operating system is using the wrong driver, it may not recognize the device.

The first step is to try another USB port. If your computer has several ports, you may find that one isn’t functioning properly while the others work just fine.

Next, update your operating system to ensure that it has all of the latest device drivers and protocols. If you have an older version of Windows that hasn’t been updated in a while, you’ll likely find enhanced USB support with an update.

While you’re at it, update your BIOS as BIOS support is critical for the proper operation of your USB ports. Updating BIOS varies from computer to computer. Check with your computer manufacturer for specific steps on how to do this.

You should also update your USB hardware drivers. These updates are usually available from your computer manufacturer or expansion card manufacturer.

In addition to updating your operating system, BIOS, and USB hardware drivers, consider updating the device drivers from the device that’s giving you trouble in the first place. While the device may have come with an installation disk, the drivers on the disk are likely out of date. Go to the device manufacturer’s Web site and see if updated drivers have been released. If so, download and install the updated device drivers. This will apply the latest repairs the manufacturer has made to the device.

Another step when troubleshooting unrecognized USB devices is to rule out spyware and computer viruses as possible causes. Update your security software and run a thorough scan. If none of these steps solves your problem and other USB devices work as expected, the device or its USB cable could be defective. Consider returning or exchanging the product if the store has a return policy.

Your home computer network should be restricted and secure, especially if it is a wireless network. Otherwise, hackers equipped with wireless devices can cruise through your neighborhood in search of an unsecured network. Once they find one, they can easily connect to your network and steal your files!

The first thing to do is to immediately make sure that your computer’s network is secured. If not, implement security. You can do this either by accessing the wireless router according to the instructions provided in your router’s manual or by using the Networking and Sharing Center which is access via the Control Panel.

Once you’re ensured that your home network is secure, you can view a list of all computers connected to your network by going into the Networking and Sharing Center and clicking on the “View connected computers and devices” link.

This doesn’t always show each computer on your network. The reasons for this are varied. For example, you may not have Network Discovery turned on, your network adapter may not have the Link Layer Topology Discovery protocol enabled, your firewall settings may be preventing discovery of other devices, your computer may not have Link Layer Topology Discovery protocol installed, or the connected device may support the required protocols.

You can also view networked computers and devices from your firewall software. For example, if you have Trend Micro’s Internet Security suite, simply go into the software and select Personal Network and File Controls. Click on Personal Wireless Network Monitor and click Check Network. This will list all connected computers and devices. You’ll see IP addresses, MAC addresses, and names (if any). Expect to see your router, connected computers, and connected network devices such as printers. In Trend Micro’s case, you can individually trust or block each connection.

Other security applications have similar functions with steps varying from application to application.

Until the home computer networking revolution, most computer users had no real need to learn about MAC addresses. In the office environment, IT techs handled the networking requirements and dealt with MAC and IP addressing. But once families decided that one home computer wasn’t enough, the average computer user suddenly had to learn about basic networking concepts.

In order to create even the most basic network, computers require a network adapter. Once a network adapter is installed in each computer, two or more computers can speak with each other through wired or wireless connections into the network adapter. The MAC address is the unique identifier associated with each network adapter.

MAC addresses aren’t simply random numbers. They follow a specific hexadecimal pattern of 12-digits (48 bits) in the following format (with MM signifying Manufacturer numbers and SS signifying Serial numbers):

MM:MM:MM:SS:SS:SS

Occasionally, MAC addresses use a format such as:

MMMMMM-SSSSSS or MM-MM-MM-SS-SS-SS

For example:

In the MAC address “00:13:10:a2:bf:a6,” 001310 represents the manufacturer of the network adapter (in this case Cisco-Linksys) while a2bfa6 represents the serial number.

When you first purchase your networking hardware, the MAC address information is usually easy to find. For example, if you buy a new router, the MAC address will be included with the router’s documentation. In addition, a label with the MAC address will likely be on the router itself. Similarly, any hardware that you buy that uses a MAC address should have similar information and labeling. For example, if your laptop came with a wireless network adapter preinstalled, you’ll likely find a label on the bottom of the laptop marked “wireless LAN” or “MAC address.”

If you can’t find a label, you can use the ipconfig command to discover the IP and MAC addresses of your computer. In Windows 2000 and above, go to the Start button and select Run. (In Windows Vista, you may need to go to a Command Prompt first. Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt.) Type in: ipconfig /all

This will display a list of all of your IP and MAC addresses for various adapters installed on the system. The MAC address will be listed as a “physical address.” Each network card will have its own physical address. In addition, you will likely see at least one virtual MAC address.

MAC address tracking is often performed both by your ISP as well as within your home computer network. For example, if you have a cable modem, you will likely need to register it with your ISP as part of the setup of your Internet connection. This step is part of creating your Internet access account. The ISP will recognize your device and grant you access to the network. However, if you replace your cable modem, you’ll have a new device with a new MAC address. When you try to connect to the Internet, you’ll likely be denied access because your device’s MAC address doesn’t match the one you’ve previously registered. A quick phone call to the ISP is usually all that’s involved in registering your new MAC address.

Your home networking software also monitors the various MAC addresses of connected computers. For example, you can set up your network to only allow “trusted” MAC addresses to connect to your computer. By entering the MAC addresses of your networked computers, you will exclude other computers from connecting to your network.

After investing in a router and network cards, you may be surprised to find out that the computers in your home network are not set up to automatically share files. But never fear, you’ll be sharing files with family members in no time!

Depending on the operating system, you may need to first turn on file sharing through the Control Panel and Network and Sharing Center before you can begin sharing individual drivers and folders. To do this in Windows Vista, log on as the computer’s administrator on the computer that you’d like to share files from. Next, go to Control Panel> Network and Sharing Center. Check to see if Network Discovery and File Sharing have been turned on. If not, turn it on.

You’re not done yet. Just below File Sharing is an option for Public Folder Sharing. Click on the arrow next to Public Folder Sharing to view the various options. You can grant read-only rights, open, change and create rights, or turn off sharing. While you’re at it, consider enabling password protected sharing. This means that only those who have a user account and password can access your files.

Further down the list is an option for Media Sharing. With this option enabled, you can allow other networked computers to access shared media files such as photos, videos, and music. Enable the options that suit your needs the best.

Now that you have the different sharing options enabled, you can easily move files into the “public folder” so that other users can access them. You can also take your file sharing to the next level and share specific folders on your computer. To do this, open Windows Explorer by right-clicking the Start button and choosing Explore. Find the folder that you’d like to share and right-click it. Select Share from the sub-menu. Here, you’ll find a list of users and be able to set permissions so that only your trusted users can access your files within the selected folder.

Earlier versions of Windows have fewer hoops to jump through in order to share files. For example, Windows XP Home Edition comes with Simply File Sharing turned on by default.

Simply right-click the folder you want to share, click Sharing and Security, and then click Share this Folder on the Network. During this step, you can create a unique Share Name as well as remove the check mark in the box that says, “Allow network users to change my files.” Removing this check mark makes your folder and its contents read-only for other users.

While file sharing is convenient, consider the possibility that other users might inadvertently view sensitive data or accidently overwrite your files. It’s smarter to selectively add files to the public folder rather than give full access to folders on your computer. Whenever sharing folders, be selective and never share root folders as this makes your data more vulnerable to prying eyes.

Electronics are extremely sensitive to heat - and they generate lots of it. While your laptop likely has a built-in fan, you may find that it still becomes quite hot. I live in southern California where the temperature regularly reaches the 100 degree mark. On these hot summer days, I can feel the heat sneaking into my office both from the sun-facing window as well as my laptop computer.

I ended up buying a chill pad a few months ago and have noticed that my laptop stays much cooler as a result. Interestingly enough, I’ve been told that if the laptop generates so much heat that it needs a chill pad, then it has a design defect and should be returned to the factory. While that may be a simple matter of one person’s opinion, I certainly didn’t feel the need to pursue returning my computer.

Chill pads come in a variety of configurations including USB-powered chill pads which are convenient when you’re working on the road or actually using your laptop on your lap. You can also buy chill pads that come with two fans rather than one, chill pads with unique shapes to facilitate air flow, and chill pads with built-in USB hubs.

Since I use my laptop primarily at my desk, I opted for a two-fan, 4-port USB hub chill pad. This acts like a poor man’s docking station. I have my USB mouse, USB speakers, and my USB MP3 player cable all plugged into the chill pad. Now, instead of disconnecting and reconnecting these various devices each time I move by laptop from here to there, I simply unplug the chill pad and my laptop’s power supply.

Chill pads of this nature require a power source. While some of the bare bones chill pads connect to the computer through a USB connecter and derive power from your computer, the one I chose did not. The downside of this is that when I go mobile, it’s not practical to take the chill pad with me. Since I’m using it mainly as a central cooling hub on my desk, I’m okay with that.

Chill pads are simple little devices that come with a price tag that defies their simplicity. The one I purchased cost about $50. The less expensive chill pads are in the $20 range. To me, it seems like a lot of money for a plastic unit with a miniature fan or two. However, if your laptop computer runs hot and you don’t want to hassle with returning it, a chill pad may very well be worth the price.

By keeping your laptop cool, you may be preventing heat-related damage and perhaps even extending the useful life of your hardware. However, if your laptop seems excessively hot, consider the possibility that the built-in fan has gone out or that your laptop has a design problem. Call the technical support line for your computer’s manufacturer and find out if this is a known issue with your model. You never know; they may have a solution that’s better than a chill pad.