Click on 'Business' for Dells with XP

More readers have offered some questions this week.

Let's get to the mailbag and answer some questions before we turn to some software reviews next week.

Question: I read in your column that Dell is selling computers with Windows XP as an option. However, when I went to the Dell Web site, I did not see that option in the list of options when I place an order. How can I get XP? I have certain programs that require XP to run.

Answer: Dell offers Windows XP Home and Professional editions but only on certain models in certain configurations. If you select the "Small Business" option and not the "Home" option on the Dell Web site you may find more model options with XP, as the decision was primarily made to placate business customers, some of whom were not ready to switch to Vista. You also can call Dell directly and ask for the XP option, but often the online prices are lower.

Question: You mentioned the picture-viewing program Irfanview in your column, but you said it is free; when I downloaded it there was a fee.

Answer: No, it's free. You likely downloaded a sound-alike program. You can get the real thing at www.irfanview.

com. With all "free" programs that are well-received, there often are sound-alikes out there full of spyware and junk.

Question: I have two office computers that are networked. One is the server for the system. What I want to do is remotely access them from my home. We have tried working with the IP addresses and were unsuccessful. Am I saying it correctly when I state we worked through the router's external IP address, too? We have AT&T Yahoo Internet Security and checked with them, and they stated this system should not be the culprit. We recently removed Norton's security.

Answer: It is quite likely that the firewall built in to your router is blocking the connection, which is as it was designed to do. You don't want to open your office computers to the outside world. You can hire a nerd to set up a VPN connection for you or subscribe to one of the Web-based services like GoToMyPC or LogMeIn that "meets in the middle" and bypasses your router's firewall. You want to make sure your firewall remains in place to protect your data (change your router's default password, too!).

Question: What is the best way to secure a computer to keep my child from logging on to it without my permission?