thanks for the help guys. i found my problem was partly due to not having yet updated windows....it took a fair while for it to update to the current revision thats out.
all is sweet but my computer is still sitting on the dining table as i cant get my wireless internet adapter to work! i told my old man not to get wireless and to run a cabel under the house but i he knows best....the computers dont ever move so i see no benefits in wireless.
i have a belkin 802.11g 54Mbps USB adapter and i have followed the instructions in the packaging and install thje software from the bundled cd, then it tells me to let windows finish the installation using the add new hardware wizard. problem is that the wizard cannot find the drivers in the windows database, the net or even when i tell it to look on the cd!
please help cos something (most probably my shiny 19" lcd) while its sitting out here in the dining room