Wrong drivers likely to blame for sync problem

I have the Asus sync software on my PC. But instead of making the connection between the tablet and Outlook, the PC identifies the tablet as an external disk drive. Any ideas?

- Mike Boike, Minneapolis

A: I think you have the wrong software drivers for your tablet computer.

In order to recognize any outside device at above its most basic level (in this case, seeing your tablet computer as a disk drive), your Windows PC needs software drivers. The drivers are typically available from the manufacturer of the device.

But these drivers need to be compatible with both the device and your version of Windows. I suspect you have the 32-bit version of the Asus tablet computer drivers, and they won't work on 64-bit Windows.

Why not? The 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows have some technical differences. One of the major ones is that the 64-bit version can use more memory, which will become increasingly important as PC programs become more complex.

But these technical differences are usually invisible to the user; most 32-bit Windows software works just fine on 64-bit Windows. Software drivers are an exception. Drivers designed for 32-bit Windows won't work on the 64-bit version of Windows, and vice versa.

In this case, the Asus software drivers are contained in the Asus synchronizing software. To find it, go to the Asus download page at http://www.tinyurl.com/3p9ogl5, select Windows 7 64-bit from the pull-down menu, select "utilities" and choose the second available download, called "Asus Sync V1.0.46."

Replacement fan available for circuit board

Greg Grover of Inver Grove Heights, Minn., correctly took issue with a recent column in which I told Larry Schoof of Tucson that he couldn't buy a replacement cooling fan for his VisionTek video circuit board, a device that rapidly reproduces the high-quality moving images used in computer games or multimedia. I said that because a fan wasn't available, Schoof should buy a replacement circuit board instead. Grover pointed out that replacement fans are available in some computer stores (see http://www.tinyurl.com/4pkck4.)

But my advice to Schoof wasn't entirely off-base. For people who would rather use a computer than tinker with its tiniest parts, replacing a video circuit board with a new, updated one for $30 is probably more practical than installing a $10 replacement fan on the old board.

Steve Alexander covers technology. Email your Tech Q&A queries to him at steve.j.alexander@gmail.com Please include a full name, city and phone number.