Synopsis
An unfortunately large percentage of the population regards repairing a personal computer as comparable in difficulty to fixing a Boeing 747. The truth is, it's not nearly that hard--anyone can debug the components that make up a modern PC. Troubleshooting Your PC makes the task easier by providing readers with information on the systems that make up an IBM-compatible microcomputer. This book excels at providing background information on various kinds of components. It also does a fine job of decrypting acronyms and explaining how different subsystems relate to one another. The authors attack systems--such as the video system, disk drives, and serial devices--individually, listing symptoms, likely causes, and potential fixes for each. Unfortunately, they don't outline solutions in much they advise replacing your hard drive in certain situations, for example, but don't adequately describe how. Some of the information in these pages seems stale--there's no explicit explanation of how to install RAM modules, and there's no mention at all of modern PC-100 RAM. Similarly, the authors neglect not only the Intel Pentium III but also the well-established Celeron and Xeon chips. It's as if they updated an old edition of this book a little too cursorily. A companion CD-ROM includes a collection of software, plus an evaluation version of Symantec Norton Utilities 3.0. --David Wall
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review
An unfortunately large percentage of the population regards repairing a personal computer as comparable in difficulty to fixing a Boeing 747. The truth is, it's not nearly that hard--anyone can debug the components that make up a modern PC. Troubleshooting Your PC makes the task easier by providing readers with information on the systems that make up an IBM-compatible microcomputer.
This book excels at providing background information on various kinds of components. It also does a fine job of decrypting acronyms and explaining how different subsystems relate to one another. The authors attack systems--such as the video system, disk drives, and serial devices--individually, listing symptoms, likely causes, and potential fixes for each. Unfortunately, they don't outline solutions in much detail: they advise replacing your hard drive in certain situations, for example, but don't adequately describe how.
Some of the information in these pages seems stale--there's no explicit explanation of how to install RAM modules, and there's no mention at all of modern PC-100 RAM. Similarly, the authors neglect not only the Intel Pentium III but also the well-established Celeron and Xeon chips. It's as if they updated an old edition of this book a little too cursorily. A companion CD-ROM includes a collection of software, plus an evaluation version of Symantec Norton Utilities 3.0. --David Wall
From the Publisher
Inside you'll find complete coverage of PC troubleshooting:
Assemble the tools of the trade, from software utilities to tweezers Prevent problems before they happen: backups, tuneups, and virus protection Diagnose problems using the unique "Symptoms, Suspects, and Solutions" features Decipher cryptic Windows error messages and resolve typical OS difficulties Handle networking and Internet glitches, from security to IP addressing Resolve system configuration, BIOS, memory addressing, and other hardware issues Deal with disk difficulties, from bad drives to partitioning and caching woes Solve compatibility, configuration, and other audio-video troubles Tackle printer, scanner, keyboard, and SCSI snafus with confidence Troubleshoot connections, from COM ports and modems to USB and wireless
BONUS CD-ROM includes:
Trial versions of Norton Utilities 2000 and Diskeeper 5.0
WinGate shareware
Demo versions of PC-Doctor for Windows and Windows NT
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
