Windows XP Cookbook (Cookbooks) [Paperback]

Robbie Allen (Author), Preston Gralla (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0596007256 | ISBN-13: 978-0596007256 | Publication Date: August 15, 2005 | Edition: 1

Each year, Windows XP is pre-installed on 30 million PCs sold in the U.S.--and 90 million worldwide--making it the world's most popular operating system, and proving to frustrated users everywhere that preponderance does not equate to ease of use. There are literally thousands of programs, tools, commands, screens, scripts, buttons, tabs, applets, menus, and settings contained within Windows XP. And it has only been in the last couple of years that Microsoft's documentation has actually been more of a help than a hindrance. But it still isn't enough.

Windows XP users and administrators need a quick and easy way to find answers. Plenty of books go into detail about the theory behind a particular technology or application, but few go straight to the essentials for getting the job done. Windows XP Cookbook does just that, tackling the most common tasks needed to install, manage, and support Windows XP.

Featuring a new twist to O'Reilly's proven Cookbook formula, this problem-solving guide offers multiple solutions for each of its 300-plus recipes. Solve dilemmas with the graphical user interface, the command line, through the Registry, or by using scripts. Each step-by-step recipe includes a discussion that explains how and why it works. The book is also among the first to cover Microsoft's XP Service Pack 2. With these practical, on-the-job solutions, Windows XP Cookbook will save you hours of time searching for answers.

Windows XP Cookbook will be useful to anyone that has to use, deploy, administer, or automate Windows XP. But this isn't a typical end-user book; it covers the spectrum of topics involved with running Windows XP in both small and large environments. As a result, IT professionals and system administrators will find it a great day-to-day reference. And power users will find Windows XP Cookbook a great source for information on tweaking XP and getting the most out of their systems. The bottom line is that Windows XP Cookbook will make just about anyone who uses XP more productive.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robbie Allen is a Technical Leader at Cisco Systems where he has been involved in the deployment of Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and several Network Management solutions. He enjoys working on Unix and Windows, and his favorite programming language is Perl. Robbie was named a Windows Server MVP in 2004 and 2005 for his contributions to the Windows community and publication of several popular O'Reillybooks. Robbie is currently studying at MIT in the System Design and Management program. For more information, see Robbie's website at www.rallenhome.com.

Preston Gralla is the author of Windows Vista in a Nutshell, the Windows Vista Pocket Reference, and is the editor of WindowsDevCenter.com . He is also the author of Internet Annoyances, PC Pest Control, Windows XP Power Hound, and Windows XP Hacks, Second Edition, and co-author of Windows XP Cookbook. He has written more than 30 other books. He has written for major national newspapers and magazines, including PC Magazine, Computerworld, the Los Angeles Times, the Dallas Morning News (where he was the technology columnist), USA Today, and several others. A well-known technology expert, Preston has also appeared on many TV and radio programs and networks, including CNN, MSNBC, and NPR. In addition, he's won a number of awards for his writing, including Best Feature in a Computer Magazine from the Computer Press Association. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 688 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (August 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596007256
• ISBN-13: 978-0596007256
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,764,576 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a book that deserves to be on your shelf..., August 20, 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: Windows XP Cookbook (Cookbooks) (Paperback)

Generally speaking, I don't like to mess with my operating system. I want to use stuff *that runs on* my OS, but I just want the OS to be there and work. But of course, that's an unlikely situation for an IT professional. O'Reilly has released another title in the Cookbook series that I really like... Windows XP Cookbook by Robbie Allen and Preston Gralla. This is the type of book that may not be needed every day, but when you do need it, it's something that must happen NOW.

Contents: Introduction; Operating System Installation and Maintenance; Managing Hardware and Devices; Installing, Uninstalling, and Working with Applications; Customizing the Interface; System Properties, Startup, and Shutdown; Disks, Drives, and Volumes; Files, Folders, and Shares; The Registry; Processes, Tasks, and Services; Digital Media; Network Configuration; The Internet; Wireless Networking; User, Group, and Computer Accounts; Event Logs and Log Files; Security and Auditing; Performance Tuning; Backup and Recovery; Crashes and Errors; Summary of Windows XP Versions and Service Packs; Index

Windows XP Cookbook follows the traditional format for an O'Reilly Cookbook title. There's the problem, followed by a solution and discussion of the problem. There's also a "see also" paragraph that points you to more information related to the particular issue being discussed. Allen and Gralla have done some nice things with this title that definitely enhance its usefulness to a wider range of readers. First off, they realized that not everyone likes to perform a task the same way. Some want to use the graphical user interface (GUI), some want to show off their command line skills (CLI), and some want to script the whole process so that they can run it automatically. Whenever possible and wherever applicable, the authors provide all three methods for each recipe. All the script examples use VBScript since we *are* dealing with Windows. But in a great concession to the Perl junkies, there's a companion website that has all the VBScript examples done in Perl. What more can you ask for? You even get pointers to third-party software that fills a particular niche better than Windows XP does by itself.

I was a little concerned that the book would spend most of its time catering to the sysadmin crowd, leaving us "power users" wishing for more. Nope... There's a very nice mix of admin and desktop recipes, enough that both groups can feel like they've gotten their money's worth even if they don't cross over between the two. Just during my initial review, I finally found how to set the properties on a particular feature that I used in Windows 2000 but that eluded me in Windows XP. That definitely gained my attention and trust in short order...

Since I normally don't get to tweak a lot of stuff on my work computer in terms of the operating system (nor do I want to), this book will stay at home within arm's reach of my desktop machine. I have a sneaking suspicion that this book and I are going to become close friends over time...

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Windows XP Guide, October 7, 2005

By 

Daniel McKinnon "Dan" (Tewksbury, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Windows XP Cookbook (Cookbooks) (Paperback)

First things first, this is NOT a 'Cookbook' when compared to all the other O'Reilly titles with the same name. When you open up another O'Reilly Cookbook title, you are presented with a myriad of different "recipes" for the topic in question and that's not how this book is presented to the reader. Instead, this 600+ page reference manual is broken up in the normal matter of separating things out by chapter (20 in total) and then telling you bit by bit everything you would need to know as it relates to the particular issue being discussed. Keeping the .1, .2, .3, .4 format that the O'Reilly Cookbook series uses, each topic is clearly broken up into manageable chunks, and this probably why it was labeled 'Cookbook' because it's so easy to read.

This book is so thorough and exhaustive, it should be included with every copy of Windows XP (too bad that will never happen). Any level (and I mean ANY) of Windows XP user will be able to get something out of this book, from the greenest novice to the most experienced super user, there is a vast spread of knowledge to be shared by the authors, and there is so much it's hard to break it down into a short overview.

Chapters

01. Introduction
02. Operating System Installation and Maintenance
03. Managing Hardware and Devices
04. Installing, Uninstalling, and Working with Applications
05. Customizing the Interface
06. System Properties, Startup, and Shutdown
07. Disks, Drives, and Volumes
08. Files, Folders, and Shares
09. The Registry
10. Processes, Tasks, and Services
11. Digital Media
12. Network Configuration
13. The Internet
14. Wireless Networking
15. User, Group, and Computer Accounts
16. Event Logs and Log Files
17. Security and Auditing
18. Performance Tuning
19. Backup and Recovery
20. Crashes and Errors

Want to speed up your Internet surfing experience? Go to chapter 13 and learn how to edit/create a HOSTS file. Want to learn how to run an application as a service? Go to chapter 10 and follow the steps indicated. Want to learn how to run older windows/dos applications ideally under Windows XP? Go to chapter 4 to get this up and running.

This is only the tip of the iceberg, as the authors cover over 325 different topics and you'll keep learning over and over again.

For anyone that wants to take the kid gloves off and go towards getting your black belt in Windows XP administration, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of 'Windows XP Cookbook'. It's extremely well-written, broken up in a clear, concise manner, and it's useful for all sorts of purposes.

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars COOKING WITH WINDOWS XP, December 14, 2005

By 

John R. Vacca "Tech Write Independent Reviewer" (Pomeroy, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Windows XP Cookbook (Cookbooks) (Paperback)

Are you involved in deploying, administering or automating Windows XP? If you are, this book is for you. Authors Robbie Allen and Preston Gralla, have written an outstanding end user book that covers the spectrum of topics involved with running Windows XP in both small and large environments.

Allen and Gralla, begin by setting the stage for the rest of the book by covering their approach on where you can find the software tools used in this book; as well as, where to find additional information. Next, the authors cover tasks related to installing and upgrading Windows XP, installing hotfixes and service packs, and performing initial system configuration. Then, they cover adding and managing hardware, troubleshooting hardware related problems, resolving device conflicts, and dealing with USB devices and printers. The authors continue by showing you how to remotely install, uninstall and redeploy applications using Group Policy; deal with installation and uninstallation problems; change the default location for installing applications; customizing application launches; and resolve compatibility problems between applications and XP. In addition, they cover customizing the desktop, controlling and customizing the Start menu, and customizing the Control Panel and Windows Explorer. The authors also focus on creating a multiboot menu, running multiple operating systems in addition to XP, performing a clean boot, halting services that run at startup, changing your boot screen, speeding up startup and shutdown times, disabling error reporting, and customizing reboots. Then, the authors cover disk quotas, converting between disk types, creating drives, mapping drives, and managing volumes. They continue by showing you how to manipulate files and folders, create shortcuts and links, modify file properties, and manage share points. The authors also cover basic Registry administration. Next, they discuss both basic and advanced process and task management, including how to create, suspend, and kill processes, and schedule tasks. Then the authors look at ripping and burning digital music, using Windows Media Player, playing Internet radio stations, using media metadata, converting images between graphics formats, capturing video, and making DVDs.
They continue by looking at tasks related to configuring network adapters, viewing network configuration, viewing network traffic, and installing IPv6 support. The authors also show you how to speed up web access, trouble shoot DNS problems and Internet connections, work with Internet Information Services (IIS) and Telenet servers, customizing Internet Explorer, blocking pop ups, handling cookies protecting yourself against spy ware, and using firewalls. Then, they cover working with XPs wireless client, installing a wireless router, wireless security, troubleshooting wireless networking, and using hotspots. The authors continue by discussing how to create and administer local and domain user, group, and computer accounts. In addition, you'll also learn how to create and view events, create and manage event logs, search event logs, and enable various system logging. The authors also cover several tasks related to securing Windows XP, including auditing, screen saver locking, enabling string passwords, and disabling unused accounts. Then they cover tracking and speeding up speeding up system performance, using RAM more effectively, optimizing pagefile size, cleaning your hard disk, and converting a hard disk to NTFS. Finally, the authors examine how to use Safe Mode and the Last Known Good Configuration, using a boot log to trace problems, using the Recovery Console, repairing Autoexec.nt or Config.nt errors, fixing a wide variety of XP errors, configuring error reporting, and using Dr. Watson to troubleshoot errors.

This excellent book covers hundreds of tasks you'll need to do at one point or another with Windows XP. As a result, IT professionals and system administrators will get the most out of this book and find it a great day-to-day reference.