Computer Tips From A Computer Guy

Posted: 05 Nov 2015 12:18 PM PST

Do you have a WPS file on your computer and have no idea how to open it? A quick Google search will tell you that the WPS file extension is from the Microsoft Works program, which was discontinued many years ago.

However, there are still quite a lot of people who use Microsoft Works and you can still purchase it on Amazon.com! It’s actually the #1 bestseller in the Spreadsheets category on Amazon, beating out Excel 2013! So yes, you might end up getting a WPS file from someone well into the future.

In addition to MS Works, a WPS file can also be a Kingsoft Writer document. I would suggest you try to open the WPS file assuming it’s a MS Works file first and if that doesn’t work, then you can try using the Kingsoft Writer Software, which is free.

So how do we go about opening the WPS file? Well, it depends. Obviously, you are reading this because you don’t have Works installed on your system, so unless you buy the program from Amazon, we’ll need a different way to open it.

Open WPS using Word

If you have Office installed on your system, then it’s pretty easy to open a WPS file. The first thing you’ll need to do is install some software from Microsoft that will help Word convert the file to DOC or DOCX format.

If you try to open the WPS file in Word without first installing the converters, it probably won’t work. However, some versions of Word will prompt you to download the converters. In any case, there are two converters, but you don’t necessarily need to install both.

Works 6-9 File Converter - http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=12

Download the 6-9 first, install it and then open Word and go to File – Open. In the Open dialog box, make sure to choose All Files in the file type drop-down box.

If Word cannot open the file, it could be that the Works file is from an even older version of Works like version 4.

Works 4, 4.5 File Converter - http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=7264

Download and install the 4, 4.5 converter, try to open the file and it should work as long as it is actually a MS Works file. If you still can’t open it or if you don’t have Office installed, keep reading below.

Open WPS using Word Viewer

If you don’t have Office installed, you can try using the free Word Viewer program from Microsoft. In addition to allowing you to open Word documents, it lets you open Works 6 and Works 7 files.

Specifically, it does not mention older versions of Works or newer versions like 8.0 or 9.0. If that doesn’t work, you can also try to install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack and see if that allows you to open the WPS file.

The compatibility pack includes newer Office formats and may be able to open a WPS file created in version 8 or 9.

Other Programs

In addition to Word and Word Viewer, there are a couple of other programs that can open WPS files. Here I have broken them down by operating system:

Windows - Microsoft Publisher, LibreOffice, OpenOffice Writer and NCH Doxillion

Mac - LibreOffice, OpenOffice Writer, NeoOffice

Linux - LibreOffice, OpenOffice Writer, OxygenOffice Pro

If you are using Mac or Linux, you can still open WPS files using the programs mentioned above.

Convert WPS Files

Lastly, you can try to convert the WPS file using third-party tools, but your luck will vary. Since it’s a proprietary Microsoft format, Microsoft tools will do the best job, but if nothing else has worked for you till now, you can always try.

One tool that I’ve written about in the past is ZamZar, an online service that lets you convert between hundreds of different formats. Sometimes the results are excellent and sometimes not so great, but a lot depends on the format and how complicated the document is.

If it’s absolutely essential that you open the WPS file and you’re not getting a properly formatted document using any of the methods above, I would suggest you purchase Works from Amazon and open the file in its native program. They have versions 4.5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 that you can purchase. I would suggest going with 9 just to be safe.

If you have any issues opening your WPS file, feel free to post a comment and I’ll try to help out. Enjoy!

The post How to Open a WPS File appeared first on Online Tech Tips.

How to Reset Your Wireless Router

Posted: 05 Nov 2015 08:58 AM PST

I recently was asked by a friend how they could reset their wireless router back to its default settings since they no longer could remember the WiFi password. Ever happen to you? Me too!

There are a couple of reasons why you may need to reset your wireless router: 1) You used a hard to remember password, forgot it and don’t have the password stored anywhere or 2) It was setup by someone else and you don’t know the password or 3) You want to reset the router due to performance or connectivity issues or 4) You think your router may be compromised and want to reset it to block any unauthorized users.

Note that if you are simply having connection issues, you may not need to reset your router at all, but just need to reboot it. In order to reboot, just unplug the router from the wall, wait about 20 seconds and then plug it back in. It’ll take a minute or two for the router to restart, but most connection issues can be solved by doing this.

Once you reset the router, the password for logging into the web interface and the WiFi password will be reset to their default passwords. Check out my post on how to find the default password for your wireless router.

Hard Reset (Physical Button)

Resetting a wireless router is a fairly simple task, but the results are pretty serious, which means you’ll need to spend quite a bit of time setting everything back up. When you reset a wireless router, you will lose all settings including the following:

Router admin login (username & password)

WiFi username and password, security type, channel

SSID name

Any port forwards

Any dynamic DNS setup

Any firewall rules or settings

Just about every modern router can be reset by following a very simple procedure. Either flip the router upside down or look on the back for a small hole with the word RESET. All you have to do now is just find a small paper clip and stick one end into the hole while the router is turned on.

Normally, you will have to hold down the button for 10 to 15 seconds. At this point, you should see the wireless router lights flash, blink, or simply restart. Once it has fully rebooted, the router is back to its original factory default state.

That's pretty much it! Some older routers may require you to turn off the router first, then hold down the reset button and then turn the router back on. If neither one of these two methods work, then you should probably take a look at the manual that came with the router or find the manual online.

Soft Reset (Web Admin)

The second way to reset a router is to restore factory defaults from inside the web admin interface. In order to do this, you have to know the IP address of your router and type that into your web browser.

Where you have to go in the web interface will vary wildly depending on which router you are using. The best places to check are under headings like Management, Administration, Advanced, System, Maintenance or something similar. I have Verizon FIOS and mine was located under Advanced for my Actiontec router.

There should be a button called Restore Defaults or Restore Factory Settings, which will do exactly the same thing as the physical reset button. The only difference is that most modern routers also have the option of backing up your settings to a configuration file that you can use to restore at a later point.

If you’re having issues with your router, you probably won’t want to restore the current settings, but it’s a very good idea to reset your router, setup everything and then save a backup of all your settings once you have it properly configured again.

Now that your router is back up and running, you are going to need to connect to it using your web browser to configure all the settings again. In order to do this, you need to find the IP address for your router.

If you are not able to follow the instructions from the previous link, you can also checkout a program called Router Detector from a website called Setup Router that basically finds the router for you.

Once you have logged in, you should do two things: change the default password for logging into your router and then setup your wireless settings.

Make sure to read my post on how to secure your wireless network so that others cannot use your bandwidth and how to disable SSID broadcasting for more security.

If you are having any trouble resetting your wireless router or are having problems maintaining a connection to your wireless router, post a comment and I’ll try to help. Enjoy!

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