Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows (2nd Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)I should first state that I am a BIG fan of Scott Mueller and his book series "Upgrading and Repairing PCs". Mueller is THE authority when it comes to PC hardware and I've been his fan since 1995. Thus, I decided to order his first book on the Windows operating system.
Now here's the review of U&R Windows:
Pros:
Mueller goes into the history of DOS and Windows in very intricate detail in the first chapter and it's very interesting. He then proceeds to cover Windows operating system upgrades and installation scenarios. A detailed explanation of the product activation is explained and is most intriguing. Mueller also goes over the different versions of Windows (OEM, Retail and Volume) with differences in each.
Then he goes in the various processes used in Windows startup routines in his famous "last to the minute detail" explanation of registry entries, and system processes. A healthy and detailed list of Windows services, what they are and how they work are given in chapter 4 and reading this chapter was quite enjoyable.
The rest of the book follows with networking, tweaking, troubleshooting, file systems, data recovery, securing the operating system and scripting. I was quite pleased to see a section detailing on how you can reset a Windows administrator password.
Cons:
Chapter 8 of the book, Protecting and Securing Windows, needs a serious re-write and is the most disappointing part of the book. Although 3 competing software firewall are discussed (Norton Personal Firewall, Tiny Personal Firewall and Sygate Personal Firewall), only 2 anti-virus programs (Norton Antivirus 2005 and AVG Free Edition) are discussed. Where is NOD32, Kaspersky or Mcafee?
The spyware removal section is the standard "lock, stock and barrel" answer of using Ad-Aware and Spybot to clean off spyware, with a suggestion to use HighJackThis at the very end. For an advanced Windows repair book like this, I was really expecting more from Mueller.
Completely missing from the book is mention of any of the freeware Sysinternals utilities (Filemon, Regmon, Autoruns, etc) that are so vital to troubleshooting Windows (and FREE!). A discussion of Windows PE or BartPE would make this book golden. Device detection information using system information utilites such as Everest, PCI32 or Belarc Advisor would also be an asset to this book.
Also, a scripting chapter (presumeably made by Brian Knittel, co-author of the book) goes in "deep and heavy" into scripting and seems out of place in a book like this.
Summary:
Overall, I like this book. It appears, however, that Mueller's authority is mostly in the hardware arena and not in the software one.

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The ultimate guide for anyone who wants to know how Windows ticks and how to keep it ticking.Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows, Second Edition, is the book hardcore Windows Vista and XP users have been clamoring for. Mueller, author of the bestselling Upgrading and Repairing PCs, and Knittel, famous for his bestselling Special Edition Using Windows books, now bring you an equally in-depth guide to Windows troubleshooting and repair. This comprehensive resource includes information on:Installation

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Troubleshooting Your PC for Dummies, 3rd Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)This is probably the most helpful book you can have. It has helped me to solve my computer problems, and also, to learn more about computers. I am not new to computers, but every once in a while something goes wrong, and, instead of reaching for the phone, I reach for this book. I recommend it without hesitation to anyone who would like to be independent and enjoy using one's computer.

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Troubleshooting your PC isn't as hard as you think. In fact, with a little help from Troubleshooting Your PC for Dummies, 3rd Edition, you can save yourself lots of time, money, and headaches by diagnosing and fixing those snags, glitches, and predicaments that would otherwise drive you crazy. Bringing a touch of humor and a strong dose of sanity into play PC expert Dan Gookin makes it easy!
This fully updated edition features new and expanded coverage of laptop woes as well as Internet and e-mail issues, broadband connections, spam blocking, and security concerns. You'll find answers to all of your questions about getting out of PC pickles, recognizing when you're headed for trouble, keeping Vista on the straight and narrow, creating a safe and secure PC environment, and even preventing problems down the road. Discover how to:
Remove documents from the file menu
Recognize warning signs of hard drive failure
Stop a program that's misbehaving
Reclaim missing Internet passwords
Distinguish hardware problems from software problems
Mediate conflicts between Windows and your applications
Solve startup problems
Diagnose email calamities
Troubleshoot Internet connection malfunctions
Understand puzzling error messages

Complete with lists of essential rules of tech support and things you should never or always do, Troubleshooting PCs For Dummies, 3rd Edition, gives you the tips, tricks, and solid knowledge you need to keep your PC healthy and strong for years to come.

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Build It. Fix It. Own It: A Beginner's Guide to Building and Upgrading a PC Review

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(More customer reviews)If a 63 year old retiree can do, so can you... with this book.
Building your own desktop is only slightly more difficult than lego blocks. If you read this book, you will see that the biggest problem you will have is your own greed for speed when you realize you can do it. While this book does not cover Intel's new I7, this book has chapters on numerous "builds" that convey how the building processes are 95% identical, so you can go on to a build using the (extraordinary!) I7 with confidence.
Numerous no-name computer assembler online sites specify their exact components: comparisons using (the essential) Newegg's prices show 50% margins -- all this $$ is yours if you have patience, can do lego blocks, and read this book and "Build your own desktop" blogs carefully. Trying to figure out Microsoft Word's formatting options is 10 times more difficult. Honest.
I have purchased 20+ Dell's and HP's over the years for myself and my children, and can say that the PC companies' product designs and especially their so-called "service" fail miserably to justify their 75% margins, and things are getting worse.
"Build a PC" by Scott Mueller is good as a second book (there are no others that are remotely up to date).
For what it is worth, I do not know either author, nor have I ever corresponded with either.


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BUILD IT. FIX it. OWN IT.A Beginner's Guide to Building and Upgrading a PCBuild It. Fix It. Own It. is the ultimate beginner's guide to building and fixing your own PC. With a friendly, knowledgeable tone, this book shows the beginning PC builder everything he or she needs to know to build a computer or upgrade an existing one. We step you through the parts that lurk inside a PC, from the motherboard and power supply to the CPU, memory, hard drive, video card, sound card, and networking hardware. In each case, you will learn how the hardware works, what it does, what types of hardware are available, and what to look for when buying the hardware.Then we walk you step-by-step though a series of PC building projects. We show you how to build five different types of PC: a basic business PC, a home theater PC, a high-performance PC, a killer gaming PC, and a budget PC. And if building a new PC from scratch isn't in your budget, we show you how to resurrect an old PC by swapping out a few key components.When you have your PC built and running, we show you how to set up a wireless network and the BIOS and maintain your new rig.Build It. Fix It. Own It. is the ultimate PC builder's guide, even if you've never ventured inside a PC case before!Author BioPaul McFedries is one of the industry's most well known and respected technical writers and is a passionate computer tinkerer. He is the author of more than 70 computer books that have sold more than three million copies worldwide. His recent titles include the Sams Publishing books Windows Vista Unleashed and Windows Home Server Unleashed and the Que Publishing books Networking with Microsoft Windows Vista, Formulas and Functions with Microsoft Excel 2007, Tricks of the Microsoft Office 2007 Gurus, and Microsoft Access 2007 Forms, Reports, and Queries. Paul also is the proprietor of Word Spy (www.wordspy.com), a website devoted to tracking new words and phrases as they enter the English language.Category HardwareCovers PC HardwareUser Level Beginner—Intermediate

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The Laptop Repair Workbook: An Introduction to Troubleshooting and Repairing Laptop Computers Review

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(More customer reviews)I just finished reading this book, cover to cover. Just couldn't stop reading it, as Morris keeps it interesting. Moreover, it's an amazing resource for laptop troubleshooting and repair. In fact, the best I've ever read. Much better then Mueller's in terms of troubleshooting and the depth and scope of repairs - and it only has 191 pages. Armed with this book and the laptop's service manual, you are set to attack most of the problems you'll run into with laptops. Like Morris says in the front of the book, you'll notice we don't talk about the razzle-dazzle technology of computer components in this book." It's about fixing them and getting them back into working order. I highly recommend this book.

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This book will help you troubleshoot your laptop problem and take the most cost effective approach to repairing it, getting it repaired, or replacing it. But the troubleshooting process depends on your observations of the symptoms and your willingness to keep your mind open to solutions other than your first impression, or those suggested by friends who say they had "exactly the same problem." If the laptop is still usable but acts up, pay close attention to when and where it acts up, whether the problem always occurs after the laptop has been moved, or shut-down for the night, or running all day. Even the weather plays a part in troubleshooting some problems, so try to read through all of the general troubleshooting sections, just to get a feel for the things that go wrong with different components. If it doesn't make you into a laptop hypochondriac, it will make you a stronger diagnostician.You may notice we don't talk about the razzle-dazzle technology of computer components in this book. The reason is simple. You can't upgrade or repair your laptop by using the latest technology available, nor can you save money by repairing it with older technology rescued from a random laptop at the recycling center. You have to use the exact parts your laptop was engineered to work with. Hard drives and memory are the only replaceable parts that are often compatible between models of a similar vintage. For some readers, the lack of an illustrated discussion on how hard drives store data bits will take some fun out of the book, but that knowledge can't help you when it comes to troubleshooting. There are plenty of books with beautiful color illustrations that try to explain basic computer technology, but they do so at the expense of helping you solve real laptop problems.Two final notes about using this workbook. First, if your laptop is in warranty, it doesn't make any sense to take it apart in hopes of fixing something yourself. This book can still help you troubleshoot the problem to determine if it's a software setting or incorrect use, which may save you sending the laptop out for repair. Second, feel free to cut out the twelve flowcharts in the second half of the book and staple them together. This will save on page flipping as you read the expanded explanations of the decision symbols. It's a workbook, not English literature.The Laptop Repair Workbook includes twelve full page troubleshooting flowcharts for laptop hardware troubleshooting and explanatory text for every decision point. The book begins with an introduction to basic laptop terminology, troubleshooting procedures, and cost decisions. Supplementary illustrated tests and procedures are available on the publisher's website and an ebook version is also available direct from the publisher.

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