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Steve Alexander: Qwest plans fix for flawed Net upgrade

June 1, 2010 at 8:51PM

Q Six months ago, I upgraded my residential Qwest DSL Internet speed. As a result, Qwest required me to replace my existing home wireless router with an Actiontec PK5000 model.

After that, I found that I could no longer wirelessly share iTunes between my home computers, and that my iPhone remote control app no longer worked with iTunes.

Qwest sent a replacement router, but it didn't work right, either.

A Google search shows that other Qwest customers have had same problem. I've gotten no help from Qwest nor Actiontec. Can you help?

CLAUD Ethen, Tucson, Ariz.

A Actiontec has developed a software patch that should fix the problem, said spokeswoman Lesley Kirchman. Because your modem was designed for Qwest's DSL service, Qwest is now testing the patch before releasing it, she said.

Qwest won't say how long that will take.

"When it's ready, the fix will automatically be pushed to the small percentage of customers who have affected modems," said Qwest spokeswoman Monica Martinez.

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Let me know if you receive the patch and if it fixes your problem.

Q I have a Windows Vista laptop that belonged to my brother, who recently died. But the PC is password-protected, and I can't log in. I have tried every password combination I can think of, and the Windows password "hint" doesn't help. Can you point me toward any legal password-cracking programs?

DUDLEY PARSONS, ROCHESTER

A I haven't tried any of these Vista-compatible programs, so I can't vouch for their effectiveness or ease of use. They are the free Password Cracker, available at tinyurl.com/39kq3hq; Active@ Password Changer, $39.99, at tinyurl.com/2v84yxq; and Windows Password Cracker, $24, at tinyurl.com/3yv95sr.

Q Is there a simple way to do multiple highlights in a document and then copy and paste the information to another document? I'd like to copy several text sections and choose which ones I copy where in another document.

BRIAN HARRIS, OTTAWA, ONTARIO

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A Use Microsoft Word. But rather than copy multiple text selections directly to another document, you first need to copy them to the Word "clipboard" (found under the "edit" heading in older versions of Word, and at the top left of the "home" toolbar in Word 2007.)

You can copy multiple text snippets one at a time to the clipboard, then copy all or some of them from the clipboard to a new document.

E-mail tech questions to steve.j.alexander @gmail.com, or write to Tech Q&A, 425 Portland Av. S., Minneapolis, MN 55488-0002. Include name, city and telephone number.

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Steve Alexander

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