Maintenance, Repair & Upgrading Books

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Sixth Edition, Comprehensive

Jean Andrews

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Hardware -> Maintenance, Repair & Upgrading

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Good info, poor organization. 3 out of 5 stars.
16 of 17 people found this review helpful.

I have used "A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC : Comprehensive" to study for A+ certification, to teach from as a textbook, and to develop a course using it as the text. It has strengths and weaknesses.

The main strength is the ease for which information is accessed.

By showing the A+ Exam objectives in the front matter and referencing each objective to specific pages as well as referencing the text in the margins, it makes it simple to study each objective individually.

The weaknesses become apparent when you try to use it as a study text for the A+ Certification Exam.

Though the exam objectives are referenced and noted on each page, the information is widely dispersed throughout the book. It becomes difficult trying to study while paging through the book to find related information. The A+ Certification Exam is divided into a "Core" exam and a "DOS/Windows" exam. "A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC : Comprehensive" does not use this division.

To study for A+ you need to study from several sources. I would recommend "A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC : Comprehensive" as an adjunct source but not as a main source of study material.

Editorial Review:

Written by best-selling author and instructor Jean Andrews, this edition maps fully to CompTIA's new 2006 A+ Exam objectives. This full-color guide is designed to be the most complete, step-by-step book available for learning the fundamentals of supporting and troubleshooting computer hardware and software. Video clips are available on the accompanying CD so readers can watch the author bring concepts and technical topics to life via live demonstrations.

Upgrading and Repairing PCs (18th Edition) (Upgrading and Repairing)

Scott Mueller

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> Software Design, Testing & Engineering -> Performance Optimization

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"...perhaps the most comprehensive book on the subject we've ever seen. It's incredibly well researched, well written, and jam packed with useful information."
--Josh Norem, Reviews Editor, Maximum PC

Upgrading and Repairing PCs is the definitive guide to the inner workings of your PC. Whether you're adding a faster processor or bigger hard drive, tracking down a problem, or just want to understand how the components of your computer work together, this book explains everything you need to know. Trust the one book that has become the de facto standard among PC professionals and enthusiasts around the world.

World-renowned PC hardware expert Scott Mueller has taught thousands in his week-long seminars and millions through his books, videos, and magazine articles. Major changes in the PC hardware industry--including coverage of new Core 2 processors from Intel, Socket AM2 processors from AMD, and significant advances in motherboard chipsets, Blu-ray, and HD-DVD--make Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 18th Edition, an indispensable addition to every serious computer user's bookshelf...that is, if it ever leaves their desks. Readers from around the world trust their computers to Scott. Upgrading and Repairing PCs is found on the desks of teachers, students, hobbyists, repair technicians, and even law enforcement agencies that use this book to aid them in tracking criminals.

New in This Book

• Deep coverage of the new Core 2 (8th gen or "886") processors, featuring the new "Core Microarchitecture"
• Cutting edge coverage of quad-core desktop (Kentsfield) processor versions
• Detailed coverage of AMD’s Socket AM2 processors
• Coverage of evolutionary changes in chipsets, including new versions of Intel's 9xx series chipsets and new 3x series Intel chipsets; coverage of new chipsets from Nvidia, VIA, and SiS has also been added
• Coverage of the new DTX and Mini-DTX motherboard form factors from the newly formed alliance between AMD and ATI
• Beefed-up coverage of Blu-ray and HD-DVD drives/players
• Extensive coverage of new GPUs in addition to heavy-duty coverage of SLI and Crossfire
• Building a PC from scratch--from assembling the hardware to BIOS setup and installing Microsoft Windows XP or Vista

On the DVD
DVD contains 2 hours of all new, studio-quality video--playable in your set-top DVD player and your computer! Scott digs deep into networking, showing all the components needed to build a SOHO (Small Office Home Office) network. Coverage includes network adapters, routers, switches, access points, cable/DSL modems, and cabling. Upgrading an existing network to gigabit speeds is also covered, as well as the latest wireless network technology. The DVD also contains a previously published edition of the book as well as technical reference material, a glossary, and an acronym index. Whether you’re building a hot new PC for home or work, or nursing an aging and ailing PC back to health, these materials prove to be worth their weight in gold to the serious PC technician or hobbyist.

www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com
If you don’t have a DVD player or only have a set-top DVD, visit www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com to download all the video from the DVD in Windows Media Player format as well as the PDFs and other materials on the DVD! Plus, check out monthly articles, FAQs, and video from earlier editions you might have missed!

Introduction 1
1 Development of the PC 7
2 PC Components, Features and System Design 25
3 Microprocessor Types and Specifications 39
4 Motherboards and Buses 235
5 BIOS 441
6 Memory 509
7 The ATA/IDE Interface 581
8 Magnetic Storage Principles 637
9 Hard Disk Storage 663
10 Removable Storage 707
11 Optical Storage 747
12 Physical Drive Installation and Configuration 851
13 Video Hardware 885
14 Audio Hardware 987
15 I/O Interfaces from Serial and Parallel to IEEE-1394 and USB 1025
16 Input Devices 1059
17 Internet Connectivity 1103
18 Local Area Networking 1151
19 Power Supplies 1207
20 Building or Upgrading Systems 1295
21 PC Mods: Overclocking and Cooling 1335
22 PC Diagnostics, Testing and Maintenance 1367

ON THE DVD:
A Glossary
B List of Acronyms and Abbreviations

Mike Meyers' A+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs, Second Edition (Mike Meyers a+ Guide)

Michael Meyers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Essential Skills for a Successful IT Career

Mike Meyers, the leading authority on CompTIA A+ training and certification, has helped hundreds of thousands of people master CompTIA A+ PC technician skills-and now he can help you, too. Completely updated for the new CompTIA A+ standards, Mike Meyers' CompTIA A+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs, Second Edition will help you pass the CompTIA A+ certification exams and become an expert hardware technician. Inside, you'll find helpful on-the-job tips, end-of-chapter practice questions, and hundreds of photographs and illustrations.

Learn how to:

• Work with CPUs, RAM, and motherboards
• Install, partition, and format hard drives
• Work with portable PCs, PDAs, and wireless technologies
• Install, upgrade, and troubleshoot Windows 2000 Professional and Windows XP
• Install sound and video cards
• Manage printers and connect to networks
• Implement security measures
• Understand safety and environmental issues
• Establish good communication skills and adhere to privacy policies

The CD-ROM features:

• Eight full practice exams covering CompTIA A+ Essentials and Exams 220-602, 220-603, and 220-604
• One hour of LearnKey video training featuring Mike Meyers teaching key CompTIA A+ topics
• Electronic copy of the book
• Complete exam objective map for all four exams
• List of official CompTIA A+ acronyms
• Useful tools and utilities for PC technicians

Each chapter includes:

• Learning objectives
• Photographs and illustrations
• Real-world examples
• Try This! and Cross Check exercises
• Tech tips, notes, and warnings
• End-of-chapter quizzes and lab projects

Macs For Dummies (Macs for Dummies)

Edward C. Baig

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Hardware -> Macs

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

good voiume for the beginner in iMac 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

An excellent book for the beginner in the use of Macs. Language is clear and avoids the use of computer jargon. Not too detailed so as to lose the beginner in the intricacies of computer operation.

easy to read 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

easy to read and understand. Its like your sitting right next to a REAL person teaching you about MAC use. However, it would be good if there was more info on the "tricks" of for instance transfering data from your PC or transfering songs from a ipod (that was pc formatted) into your mac. Then again, that could be a whole new book. This is the nuts and bolts of operating a mac. Pretty good and served its purpose anyway.

Editorial Review:

Updated to cover the new Intel-based Macs, Mac OS X Tiger, and the latest Mac tools and trends, this bestseller includes:

• Mac basics,
• customizing a workspace,
• getting acquainted with Mac OS X, going online,
• working with iLife applications,
• setting up e-mail,
• connecting an iPod to a Mac,
• turning a Mac into a fax machine,
• troubleshooting,
• security,
• and more.

USA Today Personal Technology columnist Edward Baig, a longtime technology writer who appears regularly on TV, radio, and at major industry trade shows, has rewritten this edition from scratch ensuring you get the up-to-date information you need.

Order your copy today!

Computer Repair with Diagnostic Flowcharts: Troubleshooting PC Hardware Problems from Boot Failure to Poor Performance

Morris Rosenthal

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Computer Repair with Diagnostic Flowcharts 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The most simple, informative, and complete book I've ever read.

Very helpful 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

If you have basic knowledge of computer parts, this book is excellent at helping you track down which part of the computer is most likely causing whatever problems you might be having.

Editorial Review:

A unique visual approach to troubleshooting PC hardware problems. Morris Rosenthal creates a visual expert system for diagnosing component failure and identifying conflicts. The seventeen diagnostic flowcharts at the core of this book are intended for the intermediate to advanced hobbyist, or the beginning technician. Following a structured approach to troubleshooting hardware reduces the false diagnoses and parts wastage typical of the "swap 'till you drop" school of thought. Flowcharts include: Power Supply Failure, Video Failure, Video Performance, Motherboard, CPU, RAM Failure, Motherboard, CPU, RAM Performance, IDE Drive Failure, Hard Drive Boot and Performance, CD or DVD Playback, CD or DVD Recording Problem, Modem Failure, Modem Performance, Sound Failure, Sound and Game Controller Performance, Network Failure, Peripheral Failure, SCSI Failure and Conflict Resolution.

Building the Perfect PC, Second Edition

Robert Thompson, Barbara Fritchman Thompson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 71 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

This popular Build-It-Yourself (BIY) PC book covers everything you want to know about building your own system: Planning and picking out the right components, step-by-step instructions for assembling your perfect PC, and an insightful discussion of why you'd want to do it in the first place. Most big brand computers from HP, Dell and others use lower-quality components so they can meet their aggressive pricing targets. But component manufacturers also make high-quality parts that you can either purchase directly, or obtain through distributors and resellers. Consumers and corporations alike are opting to build rather than buy PCs to ensure high quality and compatibility.

The new edition of Building the Perfect PC shows you how to construct a variety of top-flight systems with the latest technology, including AMD Socket AM-2 and Intel Core 2 processors, that are Vista- and Linux-ready. The book includes several new options, including:

• A Budget PC you can build for approximately $350 that offers performance and reliability similar to that of mainstream systems
• A full-blown media-center system that runs Linux and MythTV or Windows MCE with multiple tuners and HDTV support
• A fire-breathing high-performance gaming system
• A fast, low-power, low-heat, low-noise, Small Form Factor system (the size of a shoe box)
• A low-cost SOHO (small office, home office) server system with a 2 terabyte (2,000 GB) disk subsystem that's suitable for a residential environment rather than a server closet

Regardless of your technical experience, Building the Perfect PC will guide you through the entire process of building or upgrading your own computer. You'll use the latest top-quality components, including Intel's Core 2 Duo and AMD's Athlon X2 CPUs. And you'll know exactly what's under the hood and how to fix or upgrade your PC, should that become necessary. Not only is the process fun, but the result is often less expensive and always better quality and far more satisfying than anything you could buy off the shelf.

Upgrading & Fixing PCs For Dummies (Upgrading & Fixing Pcs for Dummies)

Andy Rathbone

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Loaded with solid advice in the fun style typical of this series, Upgrading & Fixing PCs for Dummies is an excellent introduction to what makes your computer go. If you're sure you can put your new modem or video card in by yourself (and you can), this book will provide you with the help you need.

Rathbone starts with an introduction to all the mysterious connections on the back of your computer's case, teaching you how to distinguish a game port from a serial port and an audio jack from a network connection. He then moves inside the case, using drawings and diagrams to illustrate processors, peripheral cards, memory modules, and other internal components. Troubleshooting occupies much of this book, and the author explains the basic "identify and isolate" strategy very well. He also points out what to look and listen for, describing, for example, the meaning of the beeps you hear when you turn your computer on.

Some of Rathbone's organizational decisions seem weird. He covers the procedure for replacing an internal modem in a chapter about all kinds of internal expansion cards, rather than in the modem chapter. But the information is there and it is well presented, so Upgrading & Fixing PCs for Dummies makes an excellent resource for hardware novices. --David Wall

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

Paul McFedries

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

BUILD IT. FIX it. OWN IT.

A Beginner’s Guide to Building and Upgrading a PC

Build 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 Bio

Paul 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 Hardware

Covers PC Hardware

User Level Beginner—Intermediate

Start Your Own Computer Business: Building a Successful PC Repair and Service Business by Supporting Customers and Managing Money

Morris Rosenthal

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great Book for the inspiring Computer Entrepreneur 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great book, reading it now and almost done with it!!

Definitely worth the money, so far the only book that I've found that details the steps of starting your own business!

Not a bad place to start 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The author provides some pretty good practical advice. The book does a pretty nice job of laying things out the way it is in the real world. The author is down to earth and this makes the book easier to read. Overall if you are looking for an easy informational read this is a good place to start, however if you are looking for complex details and specific situations you might want to look for a more complex (and probably larger book... this one only has 160 pages). All things considered, this was a pretty good read.

Practical Advice (with online support) 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I read this book from cover to cover. Morris offers real practical advice for the beginning want-a-be computer repair person. My favorite being the who's who of suppliers. He also has another book of flowcharts that's a must have for your computer support library. Sign up for the Yahoo Computer Repair Business online to get feedback from others in the industry.

Editorial Review:

From buying and selling PC hardware to product development and selling services, this book offers a realistic picture of making it on one's own. The book mixes practical advice and cautions with real-world anecdotes of successes and failures

Mike Meyers' A+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Lab Manual, Second Edition (Mike Meyers a+ Guide)

Michael Meyers

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Editorial Review:

Practice the IT Skills Essential for Your Success

• 60+ lab exercises challenge you to solve problems based on realistic case studies
• Step-by-step scenarios require you to think critically
• Lab analysis tests measure your understanding of lab results
• Key term quizzes help build your vocabulary

In this lab manual, you'll practice:

• Working with CPUs, RAM, and motherboards
• Installing, partitioning, and formatting hard drives
• Working with portable PCs, PDAs, and wireless technologies
• Installing, upgrading, and troubleshooting Windows 2000 Professional and Windows XP
• Installing sound and video cards
• Managing printers and connecting to networks
• Implementing security measures
• Preparing for safety and environmental issues
• Establishing good communication skills and adhering to privacy policies