Dan Gookin's Naked Windows XP [Paperback]

Dan Gookin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0782140769 | ISBN-13: 978-0782140767 | Publication Date: May 15, 2002 | Edition: 1st

At Last! A Book for Intermediate Users!
Do you find Windows XP frustrating? You're not alone. Best-selling author Dan Gookin lays bare the best (and worst) of Windows XP in this book for users who want to work faster, easier, and smarter. If you want real help dealing with Windows XP's imperfections, take a deep breath and let Dan be your guide. Using easy-to-follow instructions, Dan reveals alternative (and better) ways of completing particular tasks, shows you how to use powerful productivity-increasing commands, and teaches you how to configure Windows to suit your needs. You'll also learn how Windows works so that you can always remain one step ahead of it. Dan Gookin's Naked Windows XP transforms you into a more expert, dynamic, and headache-free user.
Expert Advice That Will Change Life As You Know It (for the Better)
* Why the System Configuration utility is a buried treasure...and what it can do for you
* Whipping Internet Explorer into shape
* Dinking with and wrangling the Taskbar
* Sending the Quick Launch bar to obedience school
* Fixing, pruning, and grafting menus
* Making the Desktop your own
* Protecting files from death, destruction, or mere accidental erasure
* Teaching the Notification Area to obey your whim
* Secrets and solutions for working with images and graphics
* How MediaPlayer's playlists can make your life easier
* Curing those Internet connection blues
* How to say "No!" to spam
* Disk management chores you really need to do
* And much more!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

At Last! A Book for Intermediate Users!

Do you find Windows XPfrustrating? You’re not alone. Best-selling author Dan Gookin lays bare thebest (and worst) of Windows XP in this book for users who want to work faster,easier, and smarter. If you want real help dealing with Windows XP’simperfections, take a deep breath and let Dan be your guide. Using easy-to-followinstructions, Dan reveals alternative (and better) ways of completing particulartasks, shows you how to use powerful productivity-increasing commands, andteaches you how to configure Windows to suit your needs. You’ll also learnhow Windows works so that you can always remain one step ahead of it. DanGookin’s Naked Windows XP transforms you into a more expert, dynamic,and headache-free user.

Expert Advice That Will Change Life As YouKnow It (for the Better)

• Why the System Configurationutility is a buried treasure…and what it can do for you
• WhippingInternet Explorer into shape
• Dinking with and wrangling theTaskbar
• Sending the Quick Launch bar to obedience school
• Fixing, pruning,and grafting menus
• Making the Desktop your own
• Protecting files fromdeath, destruction, or mere accidental erasure
• Teaching the Notification Areato obey your whim
• Secrets and solutions for working with images andgraphics
• How MediaPlayer’s playlists can make your lifeeasier
• Curing those Internet connection blues
• How to say“No!” to spam
• Disk management chores you really need to do
• And much more!

About the Author

A PC enthusiast for almost twenty years, Dan Gookin has written over thirty computer books, many of them bestsellers. Accomplished at writing instructional books that are fun to read, Dan strives to help every day people get the most from their computing experience. Dan and his wife Sandy live in snowy Idaho, and are active in the local theater.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Sybex; 1st edition (May 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0782140769
• ISBN-13: 978-0782140767
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,368,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dan Gookin has been writing about technology for over 20 years. He combines his love of writing with his gizmo fascination to create books that are informative, entertaining, and not boring. Having written more over 120 titles with 12 million copies in print translated into over 30 languages, Dan can attest that his method of crafting computer tomes seems to work.

Perhaps his most famous title is the original DOS For Dummies, published in 1991. It became the world's fastest-selling computer book, at one time moving more copies per week than the New York Times #1 bestseller (though as a reference, it could not be listed on the NYT Bestseller list). From that book spawned the entire line of For Dummies books, which remains a publishing phenomena to this day.

Dan's most popular titles include PCs For Dummies Word For Dummies, Laptops For Dummies, and Droid X For Dummies. He also maintains the vast and helpful Web site, www.wambooli.com.

Dan holds a degree in Communications/Visual Arts from the University of California, San Diego. Presently, he lives in the Pacific Northwest, where he enjoys spending time with his sons playing video games inside while they watch the gentle woods of Idaho.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must have for XP users, August 30, 2002

By 

Thomas Micale "scrollman12" (Manning, SC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dan Gookin's Naked Windows XP (Paperback)

When I bought my new computer it came with Windows XP, being a long time Win 98 user I quickly learned to hate XP. It wouldn't run many of my programs and I couldn't navigate around it. The next best purchase I made was this book!
This book is written for those you have a working knowledge of Windows. If you have no experience with a computer and can't use a mouse, get one of the "For Dummies" books first or one of the free cd's you see advertised on tv to gain a basic knowledge. Gookin doesn't waste your time with chapters on how to move the mouse, etc. Instead he gives you an in depth view of the capabilities of XP. Much time is spent on alternate ways to accomplish tasks and on the new and versatile XP. I have to admit that I now do love XP, since I have learned to use it more effectively.
The book is easy reading and although Gookin's humor is somewhat corny, I read the book cover to cover. Enough said.
He also gives his email address in the book should you have any problems that were not addressed there. Yeh right. Well I sent him an email about a problem I had and I received an answer in 2 days. Microsoft and the software manufacturers can learn a big lesson here!
Bottom line. New to Windows XP. Get this book!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have if you're new to XP, June 29, 2002

By 

"caldonia55" (WI, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dan Gookin's Naked Windows XP (Paperback)

As a new user of XP, I liked the OS but was having problems getting used to the differences from Windows 98. This book made everything so clear to me, I feel like I now have my system set up in the way that's best for me. By following Dan's recommendations, I have a computer that's secure from accidental mess-ups by friends and family. Actually this book would even be helpful to someone deciding whether to upgrade to XP. I have a friend using Windows 98 who's presently scrounging the Internet for little programs and utilities to accomplish tasks that are built in to XP; but without Dan Gookin's book I would never have even known they were there! It's also written with a lot of humor; I wouldn't have thought a book about an Operating System could be amusing. Easy to read and understand if you have a basic knowledge of Windows; and clear directions to let you get the most from XP without having to wade through pages and pages of horrific, dull manuals.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book! Great for any XP user!, August 7, 2002

By 

ZeroSky (WA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dan Gookin's Naked Windows XP (Paperback)

Excellent book!! I thought I knew quite a bit about PCs and Windows, but this book pointed out several great features and tricks that I had no idea were possible in XP! It has the perfect blend useful information and humor, unlike some books that are either stuffy and boring, or waste too much time trying to be funny (and fail miserably at it) instead of giving information. If you use Windows XP, get this book!