Maintenance, Repair & Upgrading Books - Page 6

Mike Meyers' A+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs

Michael Meyers

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Certification Central -> Exams -> A+
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Certification Central -> Publisher -> Osborne-McGraw-Hill
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A #1 effort from the #1 authority on the subject! 5 out of 5 stars.
26 of 29 people found this review helpful.

We all know that Mike Meyers is go to man for A+ and that is All-In-One Guide is a huge success and that a great number of people, including myself, owe him a huge bit of thanks for helping us to pass the exams. Now imagine taking the best parts of his guides and break it down even further and that is exactly what has been done here in this book.

The book is an excellent study tool for passing the A+ exams as both the Core and OS exam are covered in the 950 plus pages. One thing that could be added in future updates is a few more exercises. And once again as with other books from Mike, this one has material I have not seen anywhere else before. I also found that this book is current with the newest exams, which is another plus.

The thing that has always impressed me is the way that Mike Meyers can explain any topic. He is able to convey the concepts and ideas without boring the reader; in fact several students in my current A+ Class have found this manual to clear up some confusion from the study guides we are currently using.

The cd included has several practice exams and some videos you can use as additional study tools. The Learn Key Videos does a hardware check before allowing you to run the video demos, which is a good thing since 1 of my machines was not hardware ready. As with the written material, Mike is even better in the video segments with his use of real life situations and examples.

If you are just getting started and need a first step in the right direction, than let this book be the pace is all begins. Overall just another superb effort from Mike Meyers.

Editorial Review:

Written by Mike Meyers, the #1 name in A+ training, this book teaches you how to be an A+ technician by covering in full detail all the topics found on the A+ certification exam. The CD includes self-assessment testing engine with six practice exams, LearnKey video presentation from Mike Meyers, and Mike's favorite shareware and freeware tools and utilities.

The Complete PC Upgrade and Maintenance Guide, 16th Edition

Mark Minasi, Faithe Wempen, Quentin Docter

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Clear, Expert Advice for PC Users of Every Stripe

No matter how you use your PC--as a business tool, an entertainment center, or an Internet on-ramp--this latest edition of The Complete PC Upgrade & Maintenance Guide has you covered. Inside, you'll find the clear, expert advice on maintaining, upgrading, and troubleshooting for which this book is famous. It's all updated to cover the latest technologies and guaranteed to help you extend the life and power of your PC. You also get targeted instruction on a wide range of entertainment upgrades--ways to enhance your enjoyment of music, photo, movies, and more. Coverage includes:
* Preventing hardware disasters
* Upgrading memory
* Replacing power supplies
* Partitioning drives using NTFS and FAT32
* Solving data backup challenges
* Protecting your PC from viruses, worms, and spyware
* Adding SCSI cards and drives
* Installing DVDs, CD-ROMs, and EIDE and Serial ATA hard drives
* Troubleshooting printers and scanners
* Installing communications devices
* Resolving mouse and keyboard problems
* Installing video and sound cards
* Tackling networking issues, both wired and wireless
* Troubleshooting Internet connectivity
* Solving laptop problems
* Capturing and editing video
* Managing music and image files
* Watching movies on DVD
* Getting the most out of new storage and networking technologies

Build Your Own PC, 4th Edition (Build Your Own)

Morris Rosenthal

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 42 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

What a great book! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book because I wanted to build a computer but was a little nervous about doing it. This book tells you everything you need to know and gives you the confidence to build your own pc. My pc build went flawlessly and I have this book to thank for it. The illustrations are very helpful and informative. I had a general knowledge of computers but had never built one from scratch. This book is great for people that don't have much experience with computers because it explains everything in detail, describing all of the parts and has 3 different build configurations. Pretty much everything is covered between the 3 different build so that no matter what kind you will build, it will be covered in this book. I highly recommend this book.

Editorial Review:

This visual how-to manual is loaded with photographs and images to help you see exactly how to assemble from scratch--or simply upgrade--your PC easily. Organized in three main sections, this easy-to-follow guide will lead you through making preparations to build your PC, which includes guidance selecting and purchasing the right parts. Next, you�ll learn how to build the actual computer, including internal components, and finally, there�s a section on maintaining and troubleshooting, to help keep your creation on its best behavior..

PC Hardware in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Robert Thompson, Barbara Fritchman Thompson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Power to the People! 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Let me start out with a huge thanks to O'Reilly. I'm not a big fan of large corporations or publishers - but I have come to trust O'Reilly implicitly wherever technical issues are concerned. Although I'm certain that they are not the "perfect" publisher, nor in the business for wholly (ha!) altruistic reasons, I AM amazed by the remarkable originality, diversity, range, quality, accuracy, and honorable business practices of this publisher. Oftentimes I wonder how they manage to maintain such a level, when their current library is so chock-full of tough-to-follow acts.

That said, PC Hardware in a Nutshell does not fail to meet up to these high expectations. Let me get the review portion of my review out of the way - simply put, this is the book I have been hunting for a couple years. That I did not immediately search the O'Reilly library only shows that I am a bit silly. I should have known better. End of review.

But I would like to carry this a bit further, and go out on a limb to discuss the only complaint prior reviewers have voiced: that the book is too "Microsoft-centric."

Rather than a weakness, I believe that this is actually a strength. Let me offer big kudos to the authors and publisher for realizing that a serious, yet accessible, compendium of computer hardware knowledge was necessary. The folks who register such complaints are those least in need of an in-depth introduction to PC hardware. These are the high priests of hi-tech, who rule the roost by virtue of their knowledge-monopoly on all issues technical. They would have you believe that if it was not hand-crafted from spare parts, duct tape, and copious amounts of solder and configured with the most obscure version of Linux, then it's only fit for a 4-year-old. They are, quite simply, dead wrong. Let them compile their own "PC Hardware for Only the Most Serious Tech Gurus", I say!

Thompson's very first point is that he intended the book to be of the most practical usability possible. The practical reality is that the people who desperately need such a compendium are poor fools, like Yours Truly, who are too technical to be satisfied with tutorials on how to use Microsoft Office, yet are not quite knowledgeable enough to get right under the hood of their PCs (never mind build a Linux box from spare hatpins and Reynolds Wrap). We, the "psuedo-techies", often do not come equipped with enough experience, knowledge, or confidence to take ourselves to the next level. We are the crowd who are using Microsoft products, yet would love to learn enough to understand exactly WHY Microsoft means "mush-mind" and Linux is God - but will never get there without a guide. This book is the guide, and to me it says, "Psuedo-techies unite! Power to the people!"

Editorial Review:

A longtime favorite among PC users, the third edition of the book now contains useful information for people running either Windows or Linux operating systems. Written for novices and seasoned professionals alike, the book is packed with useful and unbiased information, including how-to advice for specific components, ample reference material, and a comprehensive case study on building a PC. In addition to coverage of the fundamentals and general tips about working on PCs, the book includes chapters focusing on motherboards, processors, memory, floppies, hard drives, optical drives, tape devices, video devices, input devices, audio components, communications, power supplies, and maintenance. Special emphasis is given to upgrading and troubleshooting existing equipment so you can get the most from your existing investments.

PC Technician Black Book: The PC Technician's Secret Weapon

Ron Gilster

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Not worth the money 1 out of 5 stars.
15 of 15 people found this review helpful.

The cover says "Ideal for A+ certified technicians," which I am not, but I could imagine they'd be even more frustrated with this book that I am.

I bought this book after acquiring a large collection of older PC parts. I thought it would be handy to have a troubleshooting reference nearby while working with the parts. I've had this book a number of months now, built 2 fully operational computers from scratch, and have not found this book helpful ONCE. I'd recommend saving your money and buying another book or searching Google Groups for your answers.

Just to be fair, there is a lot of interesting information about how certain technologies evolved and is fairly comprehensive. (Such as full page pictures of what midtower cases and toolless screws look like.) But when it comes to troubleshooting issues while working on a computer, it's just about worthless. (Plot spoiler: just about all the "Immediate Solutions" sections tell you to check the cables, or something that obvious.)

I'll admit I'm a software technician by trade and enjoy fiddling with stuff. This book may very well be good for the novice or intermediate user. But if you've built computers before or know your way around troubleshooting an issue, look elsewhere for a hardware reference.

Editorial Review:

This book is a ready reference of troubleshooting, diagnostics, and repair processes and procedures for a range of commonly used personal computers and peripheral devices. Written in the popular Black Book format with a hardware focus, this book is a comprehensive problem-solving reference that uses a step-by-step approach and cross-referenced solutions. Unlike other PC troubleshooting books, you don't have to read through pages of text to find a solution. This book cuts out the unnecessary background reference material and filler to bring you clear, concise, and necessary reference information followed by problem solving solutions in an easy-to-use format. Each unit within the book contains: a common customer complaint, symptoms common to the problem, tools needed (hand, hardware, or software), step-by-step processes used to verify the problem, and the step-by-step processes used to correct the problem.

PC Chop Shop: Tricked Out Guide to PC Modding

David Groth

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Very helpful 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

A great book for the workbench. Photo tutorials are very clear and easy to follow. The Author also restores Classic cars so the chapter on "case painting" is worth the price alone. The book covers all skill levels. Its a great reference guide when you find yourself in garge or workshop w/o internet access.
Modders, buy this book!

Very good, but not fantastic 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

There is a lot of great information in this book. I learned loads in the section of lighting, from how to solder LEDs to installing those cool plasma balls and/or plates. The stealthing section was also cool.

My only gripe is the photos. Most are black and white, and don't always clearly illustrate the point, especially when he is talking about the different colors of wire coming from a PSU. Many photos are on different pages than the text describing them, making one flip a page over to see what the author is talking about, and then flip back and try to find your spot. Minor, but annoying.

Besides the issue over photos, I learned loads, and will definatly apply some of the techniques to the project I bought the book for.

Editorial Review:

Catch on to the latest craze among PC enthusiasts-- "PC modding"--or tricking out, supping up, and customizing the look and performance of your PC. Through step-by-step instruction, best-selling PC author and expert "Modder" David Groth teaches you how to mod. Learn every type of modification, from adding lights, to sound deadening, to custom painting, peripheral and hardware modification. There are no lame projects in this book! A 16-page color insert demonstrates some of the coolest mods out there. David Groth's one-of-a-kind creations have been featured on Tech TV and Gruntville.com.

PC Troubleshooting Pocket Guide

Jean Andrews

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

The IT Lil' Helper 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Must have for anybody intrested in the IT feild or someone who has had it with so-called Tech. Support. Find and Trouble shoot your Pc without shooting it. This little guide is full of practicle solutions with real contact info. for those hard to solve issues.

Editorial Review:

This compact volume provides essential diagnostic and troubleshooting information

Fix Your Own PC

Corey Sandler

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

It worked for me! 4 out of 5 stars.
11 of 12 people found this review helpful.

This book as is good as it's title: I did manage to fix my own (Pentium II) PC by reading it! It gave me the knowledge to find the problem (a bad motherboard) and the courage to replace it. Operations that at first glance looked intimidating, were made relatively simple by the book's clear discussions, explanations and photos. It's range covers the inner workings of old PC's up through the Pentium II (as well as a little bit of info on the Pentium III.) Not a perfect book, though: the photo printing could be better; and the section on power supplies isn't complete or accurate, particularly when it comes to ATX-type supplies--oddly, the type found in most Pentium machines, for which the book is otherwise a good repair guide. (The power supply is a vital component in a PC, and is oftentimes the first gizmo to go bad.) I had to go outside the book to find that critical info. But criticism aside, I wouldn't have been able to repair my computer without this book, period, so I would recommend it. Perhaps a newer edition will correct the minor shortcomings.

Editorial Review:

• Packed with crisp black-and-white photographs and illustrations, this bestselling guide walks people step by step through all aspects of troubleshooting, upgrading, and repairing a PC
• Includes an all-new chapter on "Working Outside the Box," which focuses on external communication devices and controllers
• Covers hardware upgrades and repair-memory, hard drives, CD and DVD drives, video cards, monitors, USB connections, modems, routers, and more-as well as tools for diagnosing and fixing software problems, including antivirus software, diagnostic programs, and system restore and driver update utilities
• The CD-ROM includes essential video clips of the most common Fix-Your-Own techniques and hard-to-find information on older machines as well as a searchable PDF version of the book, making the book valuable to owners of both old and new machines

Troubleshooting Your PC for Dummies

Dan Gookin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

I treasure this book! 5 out of 5 stars.
46 of 46 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book before I experimented with other books of it's kind and I was able to apply what I read within minutes to my broken computer. I have over 15 years experience as an Electronic Technician and 4 years experience as a Design Engineer and I learned something new from each and every page I studied. I was able to "laugh" at my fear of PC repair after reading this book. He covers everything from start-up problems to fixing bugs and everything in between. This book was so easy to read too! It was a welcomed relief from the over-complicated articles that I usually read. Thank you Dan Gookin!

Editorial Review:

* Most troubleshooting books concentrate on upgrading-and usually hardware at that. This book concentrates on solving problems-whether they are software, hardware, or operating system problems. The problems are the ones that Dan Gookin hears most often-the most frequently mentioned problems from his readers.
* Provides the background to understanding the differences between hardware and software errors and learning about the computer's startup sequence to help diagnose and fix common startup problems.
* Fix irritable error messages, slow PCs, internet and email problems, shutdown errors, and other common PC problems.
* Covers not only common disk problems, but also concentrates on using disk tools to improve disk performance, and preventative maintenance techniques.
* Techniques to avoid disaster: system restore, backup, disk cleanup, and virus protection.
* Tools and utilities provided by Windows to help troubleshoot your computer.

Upgrading and Fixing Macs and iMacs for Dummies

Todd Stauffer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Essential Companion for Vintage Mac Owner! Super Resource! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I really learned how my Mac works, RAM, Video, upgrading processors, USB, installing new Hard Drives and the like. In less than two weeks after buying this book, I installed two new Hard Drive in my Power Mac 7500, upgraded the processor to G3 300 MHz processor speed, installed a new Video Card. My old "vintage" Mac from 1996 is now up there with many of the latest. Best of all, I get to keep using ALL my SCSI peripherals (printers, scanners, etc.! ). Also, I don't. need to buy a new computer for 2-3 more years! This book is a real education and very engagingly and entertaininly written! This book saved way over a $1000.00 that I would have spent buying a new Mac. My upgraded 7500 is now a decent Photoshop, Office 98 and basic game machine. Kudos to the author! Now I'm going to graduate up to his more advanced book ... start with this one though! Thanks Todd!

Editorial Review:

Mac users can keep their new or older machines humming with this fun and easy guide to the internal workings of Macs and iMacs. The book explains, step by step, how to upgrade a Mac -- processor, RAM, video, removable storage, and almost anything else. It also shows how to use a little preventive medicine and how to diagnose your problem in order to help you decide whether you need to repair or upgrade. Common repair scenarios, from hard disk glitches to peripheral problems, are covered. And the little gems that make this ...For Dummies edition shine are a list of utilities for getting to know your inner-iMac and special G3 and G4 fixes. With this trusty guide, you'll be thinking different" in no time.