PC Magazine Windows XP Solutions [Paperback]

Neil Randall (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 076456773X | ISBN-13: 978-0764567735 | Publication Date: April 23, 2004 | Edition: 1

• The practical, proven solutions Windows XP users have been looking for-from the source trusted by more than six million readers worldwide, PC Magazine
• Written like the magazine's popular "Solutions" feature, the book helps experienced Windows users work faster and smarter by customizing the interface, circumventing annoying features, and fixing common glitches
• Topics covered range from building a better Start Button and Task Bar, eliminating the new program notification on the Start menu, and cleaning up the Registry after an uninstall to safely removing old drivers, using the recover console after a crash, and dealing with DSL and other broadband connection problems
• Well written and organized for easy reference, the book shows the sixty-seven million Windows XP users how to save time and frustration-and make their PCs work the way they want them to

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

In the event of system failure

Sometimes a Windows XP installation can fail to the point where you can do nothing to save it. You have a number of options open to you, such as attempting to repair the installation and, at the other extreme, reformatting all your hard drives and starting over. However, often the easiest approach is to install a fresh instance of Windows XP on a new hard disk partition and then work from the new installation to recover data from the old installation.
–From Chapter 11, Locating and Migrating User Data

They say there’s a solution to everything. When it comes to Windows XP, PC Magazine knows ’em all

Ever wish they’d consulted you before they designed Windows XP? Sure, it’s a great system, but there’s this one feature that makes you crazy. Or that annoying problem that keeps occurring. Well, you can rely on Neil Randall and your friends at PC Magazine to correct that oversight. Here’s the complete compendium of solutions to the things that bug you, threaten your security, slow you down, or other-wise prevent Windows XP from achieving perfection.

You can redesign Windows XP

• Create the interface that works for you
• Tweak your taskbar and control your folders
• Remove the stuff that gets in your way
• Install what you want; dump what you don’t
• Unlock hidden settings in Media Player
• Use Group Policy Editor to change the way users interact with their PCs
• Reinstall Windows without losing important files
• Lock it down with the Encrypting File System
• Find helpful features hidden in Outlook Express
• Dig into the Registry to remove every last trace of spyware

About the Author

Neil Randall just might know more about Microsoft Windows than anyone else on the planet. He has faithfully tested each new version beginning with Windows 95 and shares his vast first-hand experience regularly with PC Magazine’s readers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076456773X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764567735
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,446,537 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning lots of new tricks, May 18, 2004

By 

Dave (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: PC Magazine Windows XP Solutions (Paperback)

I've had the book for a couple of weeks now, and I keep learning new tricks. Most recently the book taught me how to create screen capture movies that I can e-mail to others. I'm using this trick mostly to create "here's how you do this" videos for my parents, which is a lot easier than trying to talk them through the computer challenge du jour over the phone.

Probably the next most useful sections of the book for me have been the parts covering User Profile managment. I've never found those tasks to be intuitive in WinXP, and the book does a great job of showing me how I can finally get some benefit out of Profiles, rather than the headaches they've been giving me since I got WinXP.

The book has other chapters on these topics, too:
*Working With Digital Cameras
*Making Videos
*Recording & Ripping Music
*Remote Control of Windows XP via the internet
*Using Windows XP as an Internet Server

Plus, of course, chapters on security, backups, installing hardware/software, and the other sorts of topics you'd expect from PC Magazine.

66 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chapter 11 saved me a headache, May 17, 2004

By 

hang10web (Midwest, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PC Magazine Windows XP Solutions (Paperback)

One of my Windows XP machines got completely corrupted and would not boot - even in safe mode. Normally I would wipe the drive and move on with a fresh install, but in this case, I needed to recover several files - including my recent honeymoon photos.

I had visions of booting with a recovery floppy and drilling down DOS directories - copying one file at a time to the floppy disk.

Chapter 11 had exactly the solution I needed - create a new partition, install Win XP fresh, and recover the files from the old partition.

Highly recommended.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Having it my Way, August 18, 2004

By 

S. Brady (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: PC Magazine Windows XP Solutions (Paperback)

Excellent Book! Neil Randall is obviously well versed in all Windows platforms as well as Mac. Extolls Windows XP virtues and points to it's weaknesses. The premise of this book is: "Having it my Way". He steps through Windows explaining how to do things, many of which are deeply hidden. Not a novice book, certainly, but filled with step by step instruction with pictures for a clear and precise understanding.
In my years working in computers, studying operating systems, including Mac, I found this book to be the simplest to understand while delving deep into what Windows XP has to offer and how to use all the options. In addition safety measures are recommended, third party software is discussed and web links provided.
Highly recommend this book to learn Windows XP.