q+a The WiFi signal is not steady throughout my home. Is there a way to see where it is weak so that I can put a repeater?
Akhilesh Sen
There is a way to figure out the strength of the signal in various areas of your house. Download Heatmapper from www.ekahau.com /wifidesign/ekahau-heatmapper#!download-3. Once you download and run the file, you will see a map of your location, with your WiFi signal strength colour coded from weak to strong. You might discover something that is causing interference. This map can also help you place your router in a better position in the house. If you use a Mac, try NetSpot from www.net spotapp.com to map your WiFi signal.
Missing bin
q+a The Recycle Bin has disappeared from my PC running Windows Vista. How do I get it back?
Akash Halder
Right click anywhere on the desktop and select 'Personalize'. This will open Desktop Personalization window. Click on 'Change desktop icons' link given in left side panel. When a window opens, put a checkmark next to Recycle Bin and the trash icon will be restored.
Net share
q+a I use BSNL's EVDO connection to surf the Internet on my PC. I want to create a hotspot on my computer to share this connection over WiFi so that I can use it on my mobile too.
Ronit Deb
If you have got Windows 7 or Windows 8 on your computer, you can do that very easily by using Virtual Router. This is a free software that enables you to wirelessly share any Internet connection from your computer. Your mobile will connect to Virtual Router just as it does to any WiFi access point. The best part is you can secure this connection by using a strong password. Download the software from http://virtualrouter.codeplex.com . The setup is pretty straightforward. Just be warned that this software does not work too well on Windows XP or Vista.
Video play
q+a How can I watch FLV videos in Windows Media Player?
Shalini Desai
Windows Media Player does not support FLV videos or Flash videos by default. However, you can enable this for Windows Media Player by installing a codec pack. Codecs enable the operating system to play various video and audio files not supported by Windows itself. Go to www.mediaplayercodecpack.com. Once you have downloaded the media codec pack start the installer and follow the on screen instructions. Restart your computer to complete the installation.
Troubleshoot
q+a I tried to reset Windows 10 using the 'remove everything' option in my Samsung laptop with AMD processor. It was resetting fine but suddenly the laptop went off. When I turned it turn on I got the message 'Operating system not found'. What do I do now?
Osman Goni
You have to create a bootable USB or DVD drive and repair your Windows installation from there. You can download the tool to create your bootable drive from www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10.
Insert the DVD or USB and boot Windows 10 from it. Before that make sure you change the boot sequence in your BIOS setup so that the laptop boots from the correct drive. In the 'Windows setup' page, select the appropriate options and click on 'next'. Click on 'Repair your computer' and select 'Troubleshoot'. Tap on 'Advanced options' and select 'Automatic Repair' and select the operating system.
Send in your computer-related problems to askdoss@abpmail.com with bits&bytes as the subject line
