Super Windows Secrets

Up, Upload, and Away

Though it may sometimes seem that not even the Flash could safely speed up your Internet link or network connection, Windows might actually come to your rescue. If some evil genius has taken over your computer's link to the outside world, see if these Windows tweaks reopen your lines of communication.

XP: One Explorer Is Plenty If you're happy with Internet Explorer or another browser, and satisfied with your current e-mail and Internet service provider, you can save more than 13MB of hard drive space by deleting MSN Explorer. Windows Help says MSN Explorer is 'software that makes it easy to get more from the Web.' Maybe, but it's just a browser more tightly integrated with Windows Media Player and Microsoft's own MSN Web services.

To drop this duplicate browser like a hot potato, open Control Panel, launch Add or Remove Programs, and on the left side of the dialog box, click Add/Remove Windows Components. Scroll through the list of Windows components and uncheck MSN Explorer. Read the warning and click Yes if you don't rely on MSN for your Internet connection. Click Next and follow the remaining on-screen prompts.

XP: Get Behind a Firewall Whenever your computer is connected to the Internet or a local network, it's vulnerable to unauthorized intrusions and other attacks. Your first line of defense is a personal firewall, software or hardware that blocks access from outside and may even thwart hostile applications known as Trojan horses.

Windows XP's firewall has to be turned on manually. Right-click My Network Places in Explorer or on the desktop, and choose Properties. In the Network Connection window, highlight your connection in the right pane and click Change settings of this connection in the left pane under Network Tasks. (Or right-click your connection and choose Properties.) In the Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab, check Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet, and click OK.

Windows XP's firewall monitors only incoming traffic, not outgoing traffic, so it won't help you discover a Trojan horse, spyware, or any other uninvited program transmitting information about you or your PC. That's why it still makes sense to get a third-party firewall such as ZoneLabs' free ZoneAlarm.

XP: Firewall Conflicts Software firewalls sometimes block Windows XP from sharing files and printers across a local network. If each PC on the network connects to the Internet through a network hub that itself is connected to a DSL or cable modem, Microsoft recommends that you either provide each system with Internet access via a residential gateway installed between your modem and the network hub, or that you connect your modem directly to the computer running Windows XP and use XP's Internet Connection Sharing to give other computers on the network Internet access. To enable Internet Connection Sharing, open the Network Setup Wizard as described in "A Wizard to the Rescue," below.

ME, XP: A Wizard to the Rescue Setting up a home or small-office network may require that you dig through multiple dialog boxes and decipher arcane network protocols. Why bother? Windows' Network Setup Wizard can do most of the work for you. Perhaps the quickest way to launch the wizard is to choose Start, Run, type netconn (in Windows Me) or netsetup (in XP), and press Enter. Then simply follow the instructions on your screen.