Q: I recently loaded the Easyshare software that came with my Kodak digital camera on my new Windows Vista laptop. But when I transferred photos from my camera to the PC, they showed up in Microsoft Photo Gallery. How do I use Easyshare, instead?
A: You can set Easyshare as the default photo program by going to "Start," clicking "All Programs" and choosing "Default Programs." On the resulting menu, choose "Set your default programs." In the next menu, you should find Easyshare in the list on the left; click it and then choose "Set this program as default." Alternatively, you can select "Choose defaults for this program" to make Easyshare the default program for some files (.jpeg photos your camera takes) but not others (.bmp files used for PC wallpaper images).
Q: I received an e-mail from my bank with my monthly bank statement as an attachment in a PDF file format, but I cannot open it in Microsoft's online service, Windows Live. What should I do?
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A: The most likely cause is the setting on your Web browser. For an explanation of how to adjust the settings on Internet Explorer to make it work better with Windows Live Hotmail, see windowslivehelp.com/ solutions/accounts/archive/ 2009/03/03/How-to- optimize-Internet-Explorer-browser.aspx
Q: I have an unused 18-month-old Windows Vista PC that I'm concerned about upgrading. Will Windows need to be updated, and, if so, how? Also, should I buy Windows 7, and can my PC with 2 gigabytes of RAM memory handle it?
A: Yes, you'll want to update the Vista operating system because changes have been made to it in the past 18 months. Go to "Start," click "All Programs" and choose "Windows Update." From the list on the left, click "Change Settings." Click the drop-down menu arrow next to the green shield logo and you'll be given choices: install updates automatically, download updates but let you choose what to install, check for updates but let you choose whether to download and install them, or never check for updates.
Your PC can run Windows 7; you can choose to buy it or not because Vista will continue to work. But because of Vista's past software compatibility and other problems, most people probably will upgrade to Windows 7.