Troubleshooting Your PC for Dummies, 2nd Edition [Paperback]

Dan Gookin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0764577425 | ISBN-13: 978-0764577420 | Edition: 2

• Targeting the snags, glitches, and predicaments cited most frequently by readers, bestselling author Dan Gookin clearly explains how to diagnose and cure common PC problems, whether they originate with software, the operating system, or hardware
• This updated edition features new, expanded coverage of laptop woes as well as Internet and e-mail issues, broadband connections, spam blocking, and security concerns
• Provides advice on how to prevent PC problems in the first place and create a safe and secure PC environment
• Dan Gookin is known for his ability to explain technology in an easy-to-understand and enjoyable fashion; his writing style, name, and reputation are unparalleled in the industry

Editorial Reviews

Review

“…solutions are presented in plain English, step-by-step guides…” (PC Utilities, June 2005)

From the Back Cover

Organized so you can find your problem and fix it — fast!

Rescue lost files, fix Internet glitches, smooth out shutdown, and even get help online

Oh, no, the computer's doing THAT again! What you need now is Dan Gookin's expert, easy-to-understand tech support! He'll help you locate the source of the trouble, tell you what to try (and how), give you tips on keeping it from happening again, and even tell you when it's time to call in the big guns.

Discover how to:

• Decide whether it's a hardware or software problem
• Bring back missing taskbars
• Plug memory leaks
• Recognize a hard drive failure
• Perform preventive maintenance
• Improve Internet connection speed

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (March 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764577425
• ISBN-13: 978-0764577420
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #869,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #80 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

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great choice as a first line of reference to fix things..., April 10, 2005

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Troubleshooting Your PC for Dummies, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

[2nd edition review]

If you need this book, you're probably crying or swearing. But Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies By Dan Gookin (Wiley) will help you solve the problem while putting a smile back on your face.

Chapter List:
Part 1 - What the @#$%&*!?: It's Not Your Fault! Well, It Might Be Your Fault; Stuff to Try First; Telling a Hardware Problem from a Software Problem; The "R" Chapter (Reinstall, Restore, Recycle, Recovery); Your Last Resort: Tech Support
Part 2 - Troubleshooting Minor Irks and Quirks: This Just Bugs Me!; Gosh! This Is Embarrassing!; Startup Problems; Finding Lost Files and Things; Sounds Like Trouble; The Mystery of System Resources (and Memory Leaks); The Slow PC; Keyboard, Mouse, and Monitor Dilemmas; Printer Problems; Dealing with Disk Disaster; Correcting Graphic Disgrace; Internet Connection Mayhem; Web Weirdness with Internet Explorer; E-Mail Calamities with Outlook Express; General Windows Disruptions (Or, Is This PC Possessed?); Windows Can Be Your Friend; Shutdown Constipation
Part 3 - Preventive Maintenance: Maintaining Your Disk Drives; Useful Tools and Weapons; The Benefits of Backup
Part 4 - The Part of Tens: The Ten Rules of Tech Support; Ten Dumb Error Messages; Ten Things You Should Never or Always Do
Appendix: Windows Startup Program Guide
Index

Even though I've been in Information Technology for over two decades, I generally don't do well at PC or Windows troubleshooting. I design business software, and I basically want my hardware and operating system to just work. While I've gotten better at troubleshooting, I'm still interested in any help I can find. Gookin does an excellent job in targeting the specific areas that are most likely to go haywire on your home or work PC, and he then gives you some of the more common approaches to resolving those problems. In addition, he also helps you to take ongoing steps to make sure your PC stays functional and clutter-free for as long as possible. Following the information in this book, there's a relatively good chance you'll be able to extricate yourself from a number of blunders or problems before you start teaching your children new words that shouldn't be repeated in public.

Long-term hardware techies or software/OS geeks will probably know most if not all of this information already. But this is the type of book I could conceivably give my dad in order to help him fix some of his own computer problems when I'm not around. Or he can have it on the shelf so *I* can use it when I show up to fix whatever he did. Either way, this book is a perfect first line of defense and reference when you're desperately trying to resurrect your great American novel from the dead...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars TROUBLE SHOOTING YOUR PC FOR DUMMIES, March 20, 2008

By 

Rudolph J. Antalek (LISLE NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Troubleshooting Your PC for Dummies, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

IF YOU ARE LIKE ME AND DECIDE TO DO THINGS ON YOUR PC IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT YOU NEED A COPY OF THIS BOOK WHEN YOU GET STUCK. AND YOU WILL. UNLESS YOUR AN EXPERT, THIS BOOK WILL STEER YOU IN THE DIRECTION AND STEPS YOU NEED TO KEEP FROM BUYING A NEWW PC AFTER YOU TAKE A HAMMER TO THE ONE YOUR TRYING TO FIX. I ALWAYS TRY TO GET AS MANY MANUALS FOR WHAT I AM WORKING ON, EVEN CARS. THE WORLD KEEPS CHANGING AND WE NEED HELP TO KEEP UP/ THE BOOK IS INFORMATIVE AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND, NOT LIKE A TECH MANUAL.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Windows 98 and ME Good, But A Bit Dated Now for XP, September 14, 2007

By 

J. E. Robinson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Troubleshooting Your PC for Dummies, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

This is was published in 2002, and has basic information on Windows 98, ME, and XP. It seems to cover the important things about XP. Overall, the book is good but at least five or six step by step recipes no longer work (I guess) as a result of changes to XP. I gave it 5 stars, but the book alone does not work nor is it current. You must seek additional help on the web or from Microsoft using their automated support to be 100% correct ("Microsoft Help and Support"). So, I recommend the book highly as a loaner from the library, not as a purchase, and use it with Microsoft resources and other web information.

As a reference point, I have a strong technical background in science and engineering and have used all versions of Windows going back for 14 years to Windows 3.1. Overall, I was surprised by the amount of detailed information in the book.

Before using the book, I recommend that you first download all Windows software updates on your computer, both for Windows XP, and all the drivers such as the printer software, and then see if that fixes all your problems. That is free and puts everything on the same basis. I had trouble printing with Adobe 8 on an older computer that I just inherited until the updates were installed. It was running on Windows XP, and the downloads fixed most problems. I did over 100 Microsoft XP downloads (all automated and free) plus Windows Service Pack 2 for XP. I still had some issues so I checked out this book from the library.

As with most readers, as one might guess, I did not start at page 1 nor was I overly impressed by the book at first glance. I had a few specific problems and wanted quick guidance. I looked on the Web as well for help and I looked at the book. I started with one problem which was hard to correct. I went to the book and found it in the index. It was a desktop problem, and in fact there are a few tricks using the "desktop" and the problem was not simply my imagination. The solution by Gookin was simple and it worked. After that, I realized that the book looks superficial but it contains a lot of information that most people are too busy to research on the web or read, or have missed. If you want a quick review on many small points, this is a good reference to keep handy. I did not buy the book; I borrowed it from the library for a few days and read it cover-to-cover, and made some notes on anything that was hard to remember, such as going into specific Window files to change obscure settings.

Some think the book is simple and "for computer dummies" and contains simple topics such as de-frag or file cleaning. That is not exactly what the book says. The book recommends that on certain versions of Windows the process fails and third party software should be purchased such as Norton to manage and clean the computer. I had already figured that out myself, but he had a number of other points as well. The main strength of the book (at the present date in 2007) is to use it as guide or road map of the key points to learn. But, one must review and update the details using Microsoft Help on the web as one learns.

Recommend: 5 stars but as a loaner from the library, or buy used.