Hello, lovely people 🙂
When setting up wireless networks, one of the biggest annoyances is remembering the security key and typing it in correctly allowing you to connect all your netbooks and laptops to it. Take it from me! I have heard this enough times from our computer repair geeks to be very very certain. Windows 7 now makes it much easier for you to export your wireless settings from one machine to another.
The backup of the wireless networks settings can be easily achieved with Windows 7 and you can even save the settings to a USB stick, and then the settings can be easily imported to netbooks and laptops running Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows XP.
How to Save Your Wireless Network Settings
To begin you need to open the Network and Sharing Center, this is done by clicking on the wireless network symbol from the taskbar and clicking on *Open Network and Sharing Center*. You could also go to Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center.
On the left hand side of the Network and Sharing Center window, click on the ‘Manage wireless networks’ link.
In the Manage Wireless Networks window you will find a list showing all the wireless networks you’ve been connected to in the past. Simply double click on whichever one interests you.
Next will be a window with all its properties. If you want to save them to a flash drive, click on the link which says *Copy this network profile to a USD flash drive*
Insert your USB Flash drive, wait until your computer has detected it and the NEXT button is no longer grey. The Copy Network Settings Wizard will now start.
The copying process will take only a few seconds. When done, click on Close.
When you look on your USB flash drive you will see a setupSNK.exe file and a SMRTNTKY folder. Make sure you don’t delete these from the memory stick.
How to Import Your Wireless Network Settings
Plug your USB Flash Drive into the laptop you want to import the settings to, and run the setupSNK.exe file. Click *Yes* once the Wireless Network Setup Wizard launches.
It will only take a few seconds for the settings to be imported when you receive the notification below, click on OK and start using the wireless network.
This set up is very helpful for both hidden and public wireless networks, you no longer need to type in long authentication keys. It’s so much faster and easier to plug in a USB stick and run a set up file.
I do hope this edition of our Computer Repairs How Tos Blog was of help to you. If you do have any problems, please donot hesitate to give one of our friendly computer repairs geeks a call.
Over and out
MobileGeekette
