Upgrading & Fixing PCs for Dummies [Paperback]

Andy Rathbone (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764504185 | ISBN-13: 978-0764504181 | Publication Date: August 31, 1998 | Edition: 4th

Revive and recharge your old PC in a jiffy, the cheap and painless way with Upgrading & Fixing PCs For Dummies, 3rd Edition. This newly revised, hands-on guide helps you install the hardware you need and fix nagging problems in your PC with clear, easy-to-follow instructions and figures. You'll also find out how to fix your PC troubles yourself so you can spend your money on upgrades instead of costly repairs.

Inside, find helpful advice on how to Figure out what's broken and how to fix it Install inexpensive new memory chips for faster performance Upgrade your computer to run Windows 95 and surf the Internet Give your computer more horsepower with a CPU upgrade chip Untangle the octopus that lives behind your PC Safely retrieve screws that "fell in there someplace" Add a speedy new video card or hard disk with ease Decide whether to upgrade or buy a new computer Plus, Andy's Top Ten Lists: Ten cheap fixes to try first Ten easiest things to upgrade Ten hardest things to upgrade

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Loaded with solid advice in the fun style typical of this series, Upgrading & Fixing PCs for Dummies is an excellent introduction to what makes your computer go. If you're sure you can put your new modem or video card in by yourself (and you can), this book will provide you with the help you need.

Rathbone starts with an introduction to all the mysterious connections on the back of your computer's case, teaching you how to distinguish a game port from a serial port and an audio jack from a network connection. He then moves inside the case, using drawings and diagrams to illustrate processors, peripheral cards, memory modules, and other internal components. Troubleshooting occupies much of this book, and the author explains the basic "identify and isolate" strategy very well. He also points out what to look and listen for, describing, for example, the meaning of the beeps you hear when you turn your computer on.

Some of Rathbone's organizational decisions seem weird. He covers the procedure for replacing an internal modem in a chapter about all kinds of internal expansion cards, rather than in the modem chapter. But the information is there and it is well presented, so Upgrading & Fixing PCs for Dummies makes an excellent resource for hardware novices. --David Wall

Review

They layout is clever...it is useful as a quick reference book. -- Computer Shopper, London, June 2000 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 4th edition (August 31, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764504185
• ISBN-13: 978-0764504181
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,566,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've written more than 50 books in the past 20 years, including the "Windows For Dummies" series, "Upgrading and Fixing PCs For Dummies," and "Motorola Xoom For Dummies."

Feel free to visit my Web site at www.andyrathbone.com, where I answer a reader's question each week.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books on Fixing PCs, October 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Upgrading & Fixing PCs for Dummies (Paperback)

I first owned a PC when I was 14 and when my mom bought it for me I didn't know the difference between Windows and DOS and didn't even know what RAM or a CPU was. When I bought this I didn't really have any experience with using a PC, so after learning how to use one for awhile I purchased this book and read it.

This taught me a lot about repairing computers and installing new hardware. Anyone who doesnt have a ton of Knowledge about computers and is just starting out with Computers should check this book out if you want to learn more about them. I know for me it helped out a lot. If you've been a computer user for years and already know how to install a Hard Drive, Motherboard, Video Card and Memory etc, then I would skip this one. It's not very technical at all and is obviously for people that don't know much about computers at all. It's really just a good place to start.

I'm now 21 and have worked as a Computer Technician for about 3 years now. I definitely think that this book helped out a ton, it was definitely a good place to start. I believe there are to many people out there are afraid to upgrade/fix their own PC, maybe they are afraid they'll break it. That's all a part of the learning process and you'll never get anywhere if you don't take a risk and attempt to work on them. Most everything I've learned when it comes to upgrading computers is all Trial and Error. If one thing doesn't work out one way, just try it again some other way.

I also have to mention that any of the For Dummies books are worth checking out. Believe it or not, for learning DOS I read DOS For Dummies. For being a Computer Technician DOS is one of the most useful things I've learned. If you don't know it I don't see how anyone could be a very good Technician.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful introduction- brilliant overview! 6th edition, March 2, 2003

By 

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

This review is from: Upgrading and Fixing PCs for Dummies, Sixth Edition (Paperback)

Kind of a combination introduction/overview to the state of PC technology today, with an emphasis on helping readers new to the subject in maximizing any PCs performance. This is an excellent book! Covers all the latest in Windows XP configuration and upkeep, as well as buzzwords like DVD-RW, DVD+RW, CDRW/DVD, 802.11b, 802.11a, wireless access points, fast Ethernet, FireWire, USB 2.0, MP3s, WMAs, LCDs, DVI-I, DV camcorders, digital cameras, scanners, printers, modems, NTFS, ATX, AGP 3.0 8x, DDR SDRAM,... etc. EVERYTHING current to today's PCs is given a brief mention. I especially like the Appendix, "The Rathbone Reference of Fine Ports", which clearly explains the most common of today's PC connections, as well as the ones that are going out of style. Very helpful! This book strikes a great balance between being too simple and being too advanced. It's the perfect companion to the "Windows for Dummies" series, right along with another recent book, "Troubleshooting Your PC for Dummies", by Dan Gookin. Highly recommended!

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learned more from this book than in computer class!, December 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Upgrading & Fixing PCs for Dummies (Paperback)

I'm a computer support student at a local community college. The textbook we use is HUGE and VERY technical. I bought this "For Dummies" book on a friday afternoon, and learned more from it in just a few hours than I had learned in the first 3 weeks of class!! I could'nt possibly get through my classes without it. It explains things in a way that I can understand.... and it takes a lot of the intimidation out of the process of learning this subject!