Troubleshooting Your PC for Dummies [Paperback]

Dan Gookin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764516698 | ISBN-13: 978-0764516696 | Publication Date: September 12, 2002 | Edition: 1

* 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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“…you can be sure it will contain the up-to-date, comprehensive information…” (Personnel Today, March 2005)

“…consistently reassuring…detailed explanations…” (Computer Active, 15 May 2003)

From the Back Cover

The fun and easy way(TM) to diagnose the problem and get your computer back up and running

Solve all types of PC problems - hardware and software

Got a PC headache? Let Dan Gookin show you how to find relief

Funny start-up noises. Lost files. Mouse madness. Slowdowns. Web weirdness. Disk disasters. The dreaded blue screen of death. If you're beset by PC problems like these, you've come to the right place. PC expert extraordinaire Dan Gookin shows you step by step how to prevent PC calamities, deal with dozens of common mishaps and annoyances - and preserve your sanity.

The Dummies Way
* Explanations in plain English
* "Get in, get out" information
* Icons and other navigational aids
* Tear-out cheat sheet
* Top ten lists
* A dash of humor and fun

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (September 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764516698
• ISBN-13: 978-0764516696
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #953,973 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Computers & Technology > Hardware > Maintenance, Repair & Upgrading

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

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I treasure this book!, November 19, 2003

By 

Noel Meterparel (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Troubleshooting Your PC for Dummies (Paperback)

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!

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have book for Windows users!, May 21, 2004

By 

"extreme_dig_cm" (Chicago, Il USA, Amazon.com Fan!) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Troubleshooting Your PC for Dummies (Paperback)

Containing great humor and experience(!), this book is written mainly for users of Windows XP/ME/and 98, although users of Windows 95/NT/and especially 2000 will find that most of this 1st edition still applies. 2nd edition= XP exclusively. Dan Gookin wrote the original Dos for Dummies book- all Dummies books started with him! Chapters 1-5 cover the basics, with 6-and-on being intense! This is the strength of the book: hands-on, down & dirty problem solving! Solutions include: getting around in Windows; minor irks & quirks; slow PC; audio-video; startup-shutdown; keyboard, mouse, monitor & printer; disk disaster; internet connection; Internet Explorer; Outlook Express; general Windows disruption- too much to list here! (This is mainly a software-related book- for an intro to detailed hardware-related issues, I highly recommend Upgrading & Fixing PCs for Dummies by Andy Rathbone, or for advanced issues Scott Mueller's Upgrading & Repairing PCs). My favorite thing here: Registry Editing 101! Many books mention the Registry- Dan actually walks you through some basic, yet sometimes necessary, editing procedures in a few very specific instances. This is beyond basic info, and is downright technical in nature. It's insane how much information he's crammed into one book! Finishing Chapters include PM- preventive maintenance- for disks in general, and using Backup. I use Norton Ghost for Backup myself- I can't stress enough how great it is! You can get it with Norton AntiVirus too if you purchase SystemWorks 2003 Professional (my favorite!). They're all worth their weight in gold(!). To Dan Gookin: In a good-natured way, I recommend Argument 4 in favor of reinstalling Windows: it brings peace of mind! With all the latest Internet threats today in the news- Viruses, Worms & Spyware- some people just don't trust that their computers are clean & secure without the reinstalling of Windows(!). Of course, with the proper use of disk imaging/backup software, this really shouldn't be an issue, but some people never get around to this kind of PM. Some people may not trust AntiVirus/Spyware apps to work for them, and reinstalling Windows can bring enormous peace of mind. Don't blame me for mentioning it- paranoia can be a powerful thing! Suggestions for next edition: maybe in PM section & Internet disaster prevention, including basic definitions & tips on safe Internet use? Phishing, Pharming, Identity Theft & Email-scams may not *directly* damage computers, but they sure do affect their users(!). Also- How about advanced videogame troubleshooting? Even people with up-to-date hardware experience crashes & restarts during games. In the Windows 2000 Getting Started book, a common solution to blue-screen stop messages is to "Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing". Believe it or not, it worked for me! Far fewer crashes during fast moving video & videogames. These are my best suggestions! Thank you for this incredible & long-overdue book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saved me money!!!, September 23, 2010

By 

Marsha D. Mcgregor - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Troubleshooting Your PC for Dummies (Paperback)

I had been taking my computer in for estimates to be repaired. I always went into shock when I heard what they wanted to repair it. This book has saved me over $250 & I only needed less than 30 minutes of my time!!! Even better, I'm just getting started on my do-it-myself repairs!!!!