Troubleshooting & Maintaining Your PC All-In-One for Dummies
by Dan Gookin


This title is advertised as "6 Books in 1" and it is that! At almost 700 pages, each of the "books" has several chapters covering the main points about that topic. Unless you are training to be a PC tech, this is not the kind of book you'll work through in order. Truthfully, there are several chapters in this book you hope you'll never have to read, but if my computer died on a Saturday morning, I would be glad to have this book on my technical book shelf!


This book is for PC users running Windows XP and Vista. Included is a DVD which contains shareware, freeware GNU software, and some author created material. The books and chapters are:

1. Hardware

Let There Be PC
Birth Pangs
Death Throes
Mass Storage Issues
Pain in the Printer
Seeing Trouble
Peripheralitis
Deep Inside the Computer Case

How many of us have a good understanding of this tool we use everyday? This book takes us through everything that makes up the PC, from electricity to the steps a PC takes when you turn it on, and then turn it off. There's a chapter for each of the main peripherals and in Peripheralitis, a good section on Device Manager & device drivers. The finale is a look inside the computer to see how it's all connected.

2. Software

Windows Gone AWOL
Programs, Processes, and Services
The Safe Mode Chapter
Putting the Pep Back into the PC
User Accounts
Unexpected Application Situation
Reporting for Duty
Recovery Options
Registry Fixes

There are a lot of great chapters in this section! If you're serious about trouble shooting your PC problems, you're going to have to be familiar with the terminology and how some of the software pieces fit together, so don't skip Programs, Processes, and Services. If you have multiple users on your PC, The User Accounts chapter will show you how to set up accounts for each member of your family, so they can personalize their settings. If you find yourself complaining how slow your computer is, open Putting the Pep Back into the PC. You'll learn about memory leaks, spyware issues, how to disable unnecessary services.

3. Laptops

Laptop Asleep, Laptop Awake, Laptop Dead
A More Usable Laptop
Out on the Road
Laptop Maintenance

How fantastic that a chapter that discusses the unique issues to laptops is included. Laptop Asleep, Laptop Awake, Laptop Dead addresses some of the most unusual aspects of a laptop, such as start-up problems, fixing a snoozing laptop, controlling what happens when you close the lid, hibernation, power management, and battery issues. The rest of this book covers topics like peripheries you can add to make your laptop more usable, how to store and clean your laptop and even how to get through airport security more easily and with less risk to your laptop.

4. Internet

Internet Malaise
Woes on the Web
Email Postage Due
Wicked Software
The File Transfer Chapter

Internet issues plague all of us at some point in time. The chapter Internet Malaise covers the most common issues, connecting to the Internet, selecting Internet programs (browser, email), how to clear your history, and what cookies are, how they work and how to change your cookie settings. Woes on the Web has a slew of information on how to deal with Internet Explorer, such as understanding ActiveX controls and how to restrict them, how to deal with pop-ups, and how to disable JavaScript. Wicked Software covers malware and phishing issues, and how to set up a router with a firewall or how to use Windows firewall.

5. Networking

Network Hardware Help
The Soft Side of Networking
Per-to-Peer Networking
Networking Unplugged

In spite of many years working on PCs in a networked environment, networking is one of those topics that I still don't feel comfortable with. Network Hardware Help, which covered routers and ethernets, shed more light on networking than all my years working on networked PCs! The chapter Peer-to-Peer Networking covers topics like file and printer sharing, sharing folders, setting network access for your folders, how to make your firewall network happy and check out who's using your PCs folders.

6. Maintenance

Backup, Backup, Backup
Pampering the Hard Drive
On Schedule
A Time to Clean

The final book in is all about maintenance. My favorite chapter in this section was On Schedule, which details how to use the Task Scheduler. I wasn't even aware of this feature. What kind of tasks can you schedule? Almost anything! You can schedule most of your maintenance tasks so they will all be taken care of automatically, you can schedule a task to run a program, send an email message, display a message, or even print a report at the same time every day.

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I found an effective way to use this book - besides when your PC isn't working and you need help stat! - was to pick a topic that I'm weak on and commit 30 minutes to working through that chapter or section. When finished, I've had a much greater understanding of how the tool, on which I most depend, works!

I love the "6 Books in 1" concept, especially for a topic as broad as a PC. I don't need a 700 page book on each of these topics! I need a basic understanding of the various concepts and terminology, and some basic "how-to's" and troubleshooting advice. This book delivers! Highly recommended for all PC owners!

Pros

1. The book is nicely organized. On the edge of every page is a lightly shaded area that states which book and which chapter you're currently in. Holding the book on edge, you can clearly see where book segments are.

2. The cartoons - the Elvis one was ROFL funny!

3. Author humor - one of my fave things about the Dummies books is that the authors are funny! In this book, my favorite was in the chapter "Woes on the Web." The author has a section titled "Internet Explorer Hates Your Guts." ROFL

Cons

1. Ditch the DVD, lower the cost of the book and offer links to the shareware and the author created material on the website for downloading.

Overall, Laserdog gives this book three wags of the tail, the highest possible score!


The first edition of this book was published in 2009 and has 768 pages. The price of the book is $26.39. Click her to buy the book.

Do you have any thoughts, queries, or feedback on Troubleshooting & Maintaining Your PC All-In-One for Dummies? Share your comments or questions by replying directly to this thread!

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Lezly Harrison
Laserdog Productions - Code that Doesn't Bite

Do you know if they have one out for Windows 7 yet? I really haven't noticed any differences with Windows 7 but I'm sure they are there.

Dawn

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Dawn Kramer
www.midwestvagroup.com

Thanks Lezley; great review. I have several "Dummies" books--if that tells you anything!--and you have sold me on this one!

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Pam Deyerle - Transcriptionist in the Richmond, Virginia area
The Perfect Word Transcription Services

Hey Pam, My husband hated the Dummies series cuz of the name. But I've gotten several that are great & he has come around.

Dawn, There is a PC for Dummies for Win 7, but I it doesn't include troubleshooting.

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Lezly Harrison
Laserdog Productions - Code that Doesn't Bite

Sounds like the book for me! I had a virus on my computer and had to pay $150 to someone who kept it for nearly a week. I got it back fixed but there were files missing and it was a nightmare.

Dear Accomplished,

Is it possible the missing files were corrupted and couldn't be cleaned up?

Mary

Sounds like a must-have. Will look into purchasing a copy asap. Thanks so much!