Though adding a new graphics card, hard drive, or other hardware to your PC is easier than it used to be, such upgrades are still a long way from being foolproof.

Working inside your computer's case requires caution. PCs are still limited by such ancient, 20th-century design constraints as IRQs and I/O addresses. And manufacturers are still treating PC users as unwitting beta testers for products they prematurely rush to store shelves. If you botch an installation because you overlook one of these factors, it can take many days and many dollars to fix.

Here are my rules for PC hassle avoidance, developed from painful experience.

Think outside the box. The easiest way to prevent the problems that may occur when you work inside your PC is not to open the case at all. Thanks to today's fast USB 2.0 and FireWire (IEEE 1394) external connections, many peripherals can run almost as well from outside your PC's case as they do from inside. External versions of network cards, modems, hard drives, optical drives, and other peripherals are easy to find in stores or online.

Don't burn your bridges. Before you start, make an image of your hard drive using PowerQuest's $70 Drive Image 5 or a similar disk-imaging program. If that's impractical, back up your Registry with Scanreg in Windows 98, or System Restore in Windows Me and Windows XP.

Do your homework first. Before taking screwdriver in hand, peruse the readme.txt files (usually found on the floppy or CD-ROM included with your hardware) and the documentation that came with the device's drivers. They provide solutions to problems other users have encountered. Also, go to the manufacturer's Web site to look for more up-to-date documentation for the product.

Make sure you have the latest driver version available for the device. Drivers evolve quickly; the ones that ship with a product are often out of date. You can also benefit from the experience of others by checking any knowledge bases or FAQs on the vendor's site for known problems or configuration tips.

Don't be afraid to ask. If both the included and online documentation are unsatisfactory, call technical support before you start. Support techs are a great source of troubleshooting tips and off-the-record information. Not all support techs are created equal, however. If you're not satisfied with the treatment you get from one tech, call again and speak with someone else.

Get a fresh start. When replacing an existing device, remove the old one's drivers via Windows' Add/Remove applet in Control Panel before installing the new one. Since graphics card drivers can't be removed, replace your old driver with Windows' Standard VGA driver. Right-click My Computer, choose Properties, and click the Device Manager tab (see FIGURE 1). In Windows XP, click the Hardware tab in System Properties and select the Device Manager button. Double-click your graphics card under 'Display adapters' and choose Update Driver under the Driver tab. Select Specify the location of the driver (Advanced) and click Next. Check Display a list of all drivers in a specific location... and click Next again. Now check Show all hardware. Scroll to the top of the list on the left under Manufacturers and select (Standard display types). Choose one of the Standard Display Adapter (VGA) options and click Next. Choose Yes at the warning.

Finish what you start. Stopping a driver installation in midstream may damage key system files and require reinstalling Windows. If something goes wrong, or if you make a mistake during an installation, finish it and then uninstall the driver.

Take one step at a time. Install one device, reboot your PC, and use it until you're satisfied that it's working correctly before you install another one. This will make problems easier to isolate and resolve.

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