Appendix A: Installing or Upgrading to Windows XP

Checking Your System After Installing Windows

Here are things to do after Windows is installed:

• Configure your hardware Check that all of your hardware was correctly detected by Windows, including your modem, network cards, and printer. Choose Start, right-click My Computer, and choose Properties. Then click the Hardware tab of the System Properties dialog box and click the Device Manager button. If any of the computer components listed in the Device Manager window have exclamation marks on their icons, something is wrong. Refer to Chapter 13 for information about how to reinstall hardware.

You can print a summary of your Windows configuration. Choose Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Information. Then choose File | Print.

• Check your network connection If your computer is connected to a LAN, check that the network communication is functioning normally. If it's not, see "Troubleshooting Your Network" in Chapter 28, or talk to your LAN administrator.
• Check your user account passwords Windows XP sets up user accounts whether you plan to use them or not, and it's important for your computer's security for your accounts to have passwords. Otherwise, if your computer connects to the Internet, some hacker may think of a way to break into your computer. Choose Start | Control Panel and click User Accounts. In the User Accounts window, choose each of the existing accounts, click Create A Password, and specify a password for the account. If "Guest account is off" doesn't appear, click it and turn it off.
• Reinstall programs If you didn't reformat your hard disk to install Windows from scratch, and if you installed Windows XP in the same folder as your previous version of Windows, you shouldn't need to reinstall the application programs that were installed on your hard disk. The Setup Wizard looks for installed programs and installs them in Windows XP, too. Otherwise, get out your installation CDs and start installing programs.
• Set up your Internet connection The Setup Wizard offers to help only with MSN Internet access and with ISPs who have signed up with their referral program. Choose Start | Internet to run the New Connection Wizard to set up other Internet connections.
• Update your antivirus program If you have antivirus software (and you should if your computer connects to the Internet), check whether it is compatible with Windows XP. Go to the program's Web site and check whether you need to upgrade the antivirus program. Also make sure that you have an up-to-date virus database.