PC Repair Bench Book (Paperback)

~ (Author) "AS THIS LIST SHOWS, there is more to working with a motherboard than I can cover in just this one chapter..." (more)
Key Phrases: system resource conflicts, power supply form factors, motherboard error, Device Manager, Intel Pentium, Pentium Pro (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

• A get-in, get-out Power Pack guide that focuses strictly on what PC technicians and serious hobbyists need to know to maintain, upgrade, and repair PCs
• Each chapter focuses on one particular hardware feature, briefly explaining its design, operation, characteristics, features, and purpose, with information and tips on installing, upgrading, troubleshooting, diagnosing, and problem solving
• Highly-illustrated approach-at least one figure for every two pages
• Find-a-Fix tool takes readers through all the most common symptoms of computer problems, helps them refine a diagnosis, and provides immediate solutions
• Ron Gilster is bestselling author of A+ Certification For Dummies, Second Edition (0-7645-0812-1) with more than 250,000 copies sold in all editions
• CD-ROM provides valuable diagnostic software, searchable text of the entire book and Find-a-Fix tool

From the Back Cover

Your one-stop guide to

• Understanding and repairing motherboards, processors, chipsets, BIOS, and system resources
• Updating and optimizing memory and aging systems
• Diagnosing common PC problems and performing routine maintenance
• Installing and configuring system upgrades
• Working safely with the electrical components of a PC
• Troubleshooting peripherals, storage systems and devices, sight and sound systems, and more

Here’s everything you need to know to fix or maintain a PC–and nothing you don’t

If you’re a PC technician, time is money. Bestselling author Ron Gilster trimmed every scrap of fat from this indispensable reference guide, packing it with clear, concise information that helps you do your job. Organized by hardware or component groups–motherboards, storage devices, printers, communications and networking, operating system software, and so on–it’s liberally illustrated for faster comprehension. There’s even a searchable e-version of the book on CD-ROM to help you diagnose problems. This is the one book you can’t afford not to have on your repair bench.

CD-ROM Includes

• Find-a-Fix tool, which lists many common PC problems and their solutions
• Bonus content, including glossary and troubleshooting tips
• Evaluation versions of PC Certify Pro and ToolStar Test demo

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Product Details

• Paperback: 768 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (March 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764525786
• ISBN-13: 978-0764525780
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #345,732 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than a tech manual is this book., February 23, 2004

By	Michael J Woznicki "Michael J Woznicki" (Holland, MA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Being involved with computers for over 15 years now, I have learned that there is always something new to learn. Everyday this industry changes and keeping up it can and is a full time job. The book is written by someone with over 35 year experience and the material covered is nothing short of great.

When I started reading this book I thought is was another text for the A+ Exam, and while you could use it as a study tool, the book is more in line for the technician. What the book covers is hardware mostly, from the motherboard through printers and everything in between.

There is coverage of C3 and Itanium processors, binary conversions, AT Commands, video and monitors and so much more. Ron Glister has given you a real reference manual and a great addition to my technical library.

The text is technically and material wise up to date with the latest information. Also there is a cd included with a host of utilities, most of which a trialware or shareware. About everyone should find a few of them useful in some way and overall if you are serious about fixing and repairing than you have a first rate source to work with.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars There Are Much Better Books On The Subject, July 8, 2006

By	Gary E. Albers "Ishipaco" (Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Hendrik Olaerts is 100% correct in his review (19 May 2006), when he describes this book as "outdated." But I feel more needs to be said, and my opinion of this book differs greatly from most of the earlier reviewers. What I fear is that someone might be looking for a good technical book on legacy PCs. Gilster's book would NOT be a good choice!

I've spent most of the last eleven years traveling in third world countries, after leaving a long-term job running and maintaining a PC lab at a community college. I fear that someone working in these more remote places might want to buy this book as a technical introduction to legacy PCs, because such PCs are common in much of the world outside the U.S. and a few other industrialized countries. One can still find PC ATs and even XTs.

Having read the whole book, I feel the author has made a number of technical errors, used misleading and confused explanations for many technical subjects, glossed over numerous important nitty-gritty configuration topics, and dwelt much too often on unnecessarily detailed treatment of relatively trivial matters. For anyone new to PC technology (i.e., anyone without enough technical knowledge to be able to recognize the mistakes and misconceptions), this book would be a very poor choice.

For only about $6 more, you can buy the latest edition (currently 17th) of Scott Mueller's excellent book: Upgrading & Repairing PCs, which I highly recommend. For those interested in legacy systems, Mueller's book has always included a CD with earlier editions in PDF format. You can go as far back in PC history as you like.

Let the uninitiated be forewarned. There's probably a good reason why Wiley Publishing, Inc., has never issued a second edition of this book. I'm used to expecting better than this from Wiley.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gilster is the Greatest!, March 31, 2003

By A Customer

This is the second book by Ron Gilster I have used to learn more about computers. I thought at first I may have made a mistake with this book in that it may be too advanced for me, but that was not the case, for the most part. My husband, who works in computing, says that this book covers all of the basic problems a repair technician would need help with, which is what worried me, since I am not a technician by any stretch of the imagination. I am an office manager stuck with the job of supporting our computer network. The background and explanation of how things work and why they can go awry is very helpful to me in understanding what a problem may be, how to explain it to the serviceperson, and in knowing if the right things are being fixed.

Thanks, Mr. Gilster. I am a devoted fan!