Laptops All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies- P10: Okay, I’ll admit it: I’ve got a strange biography. I’ve been a writer all my life. My first semi-pro job was sports editor of my high school newspaper. (Go Commodores!) After college I was a political reporter for daily newspapers in Ohio and New York (I covered four national nominating conventions and two Presidential campaigns) and a correspondent for The Associated Press. And then, in 1983, I gave in to my inner geek and became the first Executive Editor of PC Magazine, back in the days when most people asked, “What is a PC?”. | 64 Catting in the Special Forces But your friendly laptop manufacturer may have a solution for you . . . for a few dollars actually a few hundred dollars more. Accident and theft insurance is now offered as an expansion of the standard warranty or as a separate but related product. Most companies require that the term for the insurance match the number of years the machine is covered under warranty. In other words you can only buy three years of theft and accident coverage if you ve also purchased three years of warranty. In addition to bringing in more money to the computer maker this offers the manufacturer some protection against unscrupulous users who might be less than honest in their claims. Be sure to read carefully the terms of any insurance to understand what s covered. Determine if the company will replace a laptop that can t be repaired and see if your data has any coverage value there usually isn t. Finally check with the insurance company that covers your home or office to see if your laptop is protected already. If it is find out if your policy provides replacement of a stolen machine that s good or merely a check for its depreciated value not very good . Book II Setting Up Your Laptop To automatically scan your laptop go to the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor on the Microsoft web site. Contents at a Glance Chapter 1 Installing or Upgrading an Operating Clearing Up Keeping the Windows Update Seeing the Windows Upgrading to Windows Installing Windows Seeing to a Windows Vista Installing Windows Oops I Did It Again Vista Installation Uninstalling Windows Activating and Updating Windows Over Losing Chapter 2 Painting Flames on the Operating System Customizing .105 Making New Screen Themes Like New or Old Securing a Screen Customizing the Tiny Picture on Your User Hanging .
