I learned the hard way to always back up before messing with this kind of thing. Burn a CD-R of anything important first. It takes 10 minutes and could save you from losing everything if something goes sideways.

Have you tried checking the manufacturer's website for updates? A lot of these issues get fixed in patches that most people don't know about. Also check your firewall settings — sometimes they block things they shouldn't.

This is actually a really common misconception. The technology works differently than most people think. I'd recommend reading HowStuffWorks.com for a good beginner explanation before diving into the technical details.

Be REALLY careful what you download to fix this. Half the 'free fix-it' programs you find are spyware in disguise. Stick to known-good stuff like the tools from major sites, and always scan downloads with your antivirus before running them.

It depends a lot on your connection speed. If you're still on dial-up, some of this just isn't going to work well no matter what. Broadband makes a night-and-day difference. Is DSL or cable available in your area yet?