Upgrading and Fixing PCs for Dummies (For Dummies)

The average cost of desktop PCs has fallen steadily over the years while power and functionality have increased. Despite lower prices, however, you still may not feel like spending money on a new, faster PC. Instead, you can transform your balky PC into a glitch-free, turbocharged, multimedia machine with minimum cost.

If you want your PC to do more and crash less but don't know where to begin, then Upgrading and Fixing PCs For Dummies, 6th Edition, is your answer. Don't let the fear of opening your computer’s case prevent you from do-it-yourself upgrades. Plenty of computer parts stay completely on the outside of the computer! So get ready to discover the ins and outs of today's hardware and software.

This book is for anyone who wants to

• Upgrade an older PC to run Windows XP
• Add a larger hard drive
• Upgrade a video card
• Set up a firewall
• Take advantage of low-priced memory chips from warehouse stores

This easy-to-understand guide shows you how to deal with the most common upgrading and repair problems and explains what to buy, where to plug it in, and how to make sure your computer knows what to do with it. This sixth edition of Upgrading and Fixing PCs For Dummies contains several new chapters and sections:

• A visual appendix that explains how to use all the ports on your computer and install the ones you may be missing
• A network installation guide to help you configure a network with both wired and wireless devices
• The scoop on drivers: When you need them, where to find them, and how to install them successfully
• Detailed coverage on virus attacks – how to avoid them and to repair the damage if one hits your PC
• The facts on DVD burners – their odd format terminology and incompatibilities

Plus, this edition continues to include the information that hundreds of thousands of people have relied on for 10 years: information about upgrading and fixing video cards, hard drives, CD/DVD drives, memory chips, monitors, modems, printers, scanners, hard drives, and other popular computer parts.

Andy Rathbone's For Dummies guides to Windows are the bestselling computer books of all time. He is also the author of MP3 For Dummies.