PC World Step-by-Step Column Archive

Please Note: Links to older columns below are provided as a courtesy, but many contain outdated information. If you're upgrading, make sure you find the most-recent link.

September 2004 Cut the Clutter and Add Power to Your Browser
August 2004 No More Cable Confusion
July 2004 Convert Your PC Into a Digital Video Recorder
June 2004 Tune Up Your Windows XP Machine (for Free)
May 2004 How to Build a Safe, Secure Network
April 2004 Conquer Multimedia-Center Cable Clutter
March 2004 Quiet Your PC: Easy Ways to Cut Computer Noise
February 2004 Stop the Spam: How to Filter Out Junk E-Mail
January 2004 Burn Your Own DVDs for Backup or Video Playback
   
December 2003 Optimize Your PC for Faster Start-Up Times
November 2003 Surround Yourself With PC Sound
October 2003 Keep a Clean Keyboard
September 2003 Boost Your Hard-Drive Speed With Serial ATA
Special Report The Upgrade Path to a Perfect Student PC
August 2003 Bulletproof Your PC With a Software Firewall
July 2003 Put Together a Custom PC
June 2003 Add RAM for a Faster PC
May 2003 New Tricks for an Old PC
April 2003 Find Software Easter Eggs
March 2003 Share Your Net Connection
February 2003 Add High-Speed Ports for Turbocharged Peripherals
January 2003 Set Antivirus Software for Maximum Protection
   
December 2002 Reinstall Windows
November 2002 Upgrade Your PC's Graphics Performance
October 2002 Upgrade Your System With a Motherboard Swap
September 2002 Get Maximum Speed From Your New Drives
August 2002 Turn Your PC Into a Personal Video Recorder
July 2002 Reclaim Hard-Drive Space
June 2002 Eight Tips To Tame Cables
May 2002 Care and Feeding of the Windows Registry
April 2002 Double Your Screen Space
March 2002 Master the Windows XP Upgrade Process
Special Report Avoid Static Damage to Your PC
February 2002 Partition Your Hard Drive
January 2002 Set Up a Network in a Snap
   
December 2001 Get a Free Tune-Up for Your Windows PC
November 2001 Bulk Up Your PC's RAM
October 2001 Build Your First Web Site
September 2001 Build Your Own PC
August 2001 Keep It Powered, Keep It Cool
July 2001 Edit Digital Video on Your PC
June 2001 Install a Bigger, Faster Hard Drive
May 2001 Revamp Your PC's Sound System
April 2001 Install a DVD-ROM Drive
March 2001 Soup Up Your PC's Processor
February 2001 Upgrade to Windows Me
January 2001 The Mother(board) of All Upgrades
   
December 2000 Networking PCs Made Easy
November 2000 Manage Your Drive Connections
October 2000 Install RAM Modules
September 2000 Build Your Dream Machine
August 2000 Common Notebook Upgrades
July 2000 Install a New Hard Drive
June 2000 Shift Your Graphics Into Overdrive
May 2000 Edit Digital Video With Your PC
April 2000 Beef Up Your Processor Power
March 2000 The Nuts and Bolts of Switching to Windows 2000
February 2000 Connect PCs Without Wires
January 2000 Install a CD-RW Drive
   
December 1999 Install a New Motherboard
November 1999 The Lowdown on Upgrades
October 1999 Connect Two Or More PCs
September 1999 Install a DVD-ROM Drive
August 1999 Install An Internal IDE or SCSI Removable-Media Drive
July 1999 Installing PC Memory
June 1999 Upgrade Your Pilot or PalmPilot PDA
May 1999 Install a New Hard Drive
April 1999 Install a New Graphics Card
March 1999 Upgrade Your Pentium or Pentium II
February 1999 Move Up To Windows NT 4.0
January 1999 Install a CD-RW Drive
   
December 1998 The Seven Smartest PC Upgrades for Under $200
November 1998 Set Up Your PC to Edit Video
October 1998 Hook Up a Small Network
September 1998 Install a Tape Drive for Backups
August 1998 Add a Removable-Cartridge Drive
July 1998 Install a New DVD Drive
June 1998 Install New Memory In Your Machine
May 1998 Install a 56-kbps Modem
April 1998 Install a New Sound Card