I'm only going to respond to your non-router questions as I think you should have enough info in those other posts to make a choice. First, when your new computer is set up, plug in the new external drive to make sure it's recognized as part of that new system. It may have backup software already on it, so you could make a backup copy of your new system onto the external drive as your first step. Then, before you transfer any of the photo files, etc., to your new system, you could download and run Malwarebytes on the old computer as a precaution. Once you are sure your old system is clean, you can do your file transfer. Since you can't get your external hard drive recognized with your old computer, you'll have to do something else. If it were me, I'd get a flash drive of 4GB or larger (you can get an 8 GB drive on Amazon for less than $20). Then COPY as big a chunk as possible of those files onto the flash drive (DON'T cut and paste, as you want to leave a backup on your old computer at least until the whole transfer process is done correctly); then plug the flash drive into the new computer and copy the first batch of files to your new computer's hard drive. Then plug the flash drive back in to the old computer, delete all the files on the flash drive only, and reload it with a new chunk of files. Then load these on the new computer. Repeat until they are all loaded on to the new computer. Then, when you've transferred everything, you can copy all of them from the hard drive of the new computer to the external hard drive, which will then be your insurance policy. Second, if you have a 15 month subscription to McAfee, why complicate things? Keep it and run it. You can worry about replacing it with something else like Avast in 15 months. Just supplement it with Malwarebytes, but don't try to run another antivirus program like Avast at the same time. Also, having a router is a different issue from what ZoneAlarm software does for you. If you are running McAfee with its firewall, and occasionally running Malwarebytes, you should be fine. Also, because your knowledge of computers appears somewhat basic, ZoneAlarm may be a little sophisticated for you to make sure you are running it correctly. (I'm not trying to insult you, just trying to keep you adequately protected without making it unnecessarily complicated for you.

and since it mentions b/g/n it means it can use all of those technologies with n being the most current. So should you want or need a new wireless router any of those would work but you really want would be best with an N for latest technology and longest distance. I have my modem and router right on the desk beside my desktop so I actually prefer to simply use cables to connect. Just use the wireless for my portable devices.

Unfortunately, the "bloatware" you refer to is included in the recovery partition, so when you make your recovery media (DVDs), it will be included on them. When you use Decrapifier or other means to remove bloatware, you are removing it from the "C" drive, and not from the restore/recovery drive. I would do as Owbist suggests, and then make the restore media either before OR after you use Decrapifier.

I just did this last week for my new laptop. To export Bookmarks: Go to the top row of the Firefox window...The one with File,Edit,History... Click on Bookmarks, then select "Organize Bookmark" A window will open...in the top line...click on "Import and Backup" then select Import. It will ask you for a file to copy to.. To restore the bookmarks onto the new laptop, follow the same steps, and select restore. Good Luck....it really works nice. The hardest part is finding where to do it.