Mastering Windows XP Professional (Paperback)

~ (Author) "SINCE THE ADVENT OF the personal computer, users have wanted three things in an operating system: power, stability, and usability..." (more)
Key Phrases: Windows Media Player, Control Panel, Internet Explorer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The risk Mark Minasi takes in Mastering Windows XP Professional is in attempting to cover a shockingly broad swathe of knowledge. He begins with instructions for manipulating (maximizing, minimizing, and closing) windows and concludes with making static entries in the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) cache for speedier routing. That's like writing a manual for an automobile that begins with opening the passenger-side door, goes all the way through driving and routine maintenance, and concludes with instructions for tweaking the fuel-injection system for a tiny horsepower gain. Does he pull it off? By and large, yes, if you adopt the philosophy that this book isn't sacred writ and is meant only to clarify details as you develop understanding of Windows XP for yourself. Stuck on how to "print to a file," and why you'd want to do that? There's a succinct passage on that subject. Considering broadband Internet options? Minasi summarizes the pros and cons of each nicely. Large subjects that require knowledge of subjects outside of Windows--like scripting for the Windows Script Host (WSH), which is a kind of programming--are a hard fit for encyclopedic books like this one. They deserve (and have) books of their own, and the distilled entry in this omnibus is bound to seem either too elementary to be useful or too obscure to be understood.

The problem with this book is that it's better suited to novice and moderately experienced computer users who should be using Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, not the more feature-rich Professional version. Users of Windows XP Professional probably won't need to be told how to shut their machines off but may well want detailed coverage of how to configure Internet Information Services (IIS), a subject to which Minasi gives only two pages. Though it's not for power users or administrators of Windows XP Professional, this book is a good choice for users of Windows XP Home Edition, as well as novices who have had Professional forced upon them by a corporate computing department. --David Wall

Topics covered: Nearly all everyday aspects of Windows XP Professional (like Internet connectivity, formatting and printing, and local-area network hookups) and many more advanced subjects (like firewalling, Registry editing, scripting, and security configuration). New features like fax services, system rollback, and the handy photo viewer are dealt with nicely.

Product Description

--Mark Minasi, the world's #1 Windows authority, brings to Microsoft's new generation of Windows operating systems his technical expertise and ability to make topics easy to understand.

--This in-depth guide covers features new to Windows XP Professional, including the revamped desktop, Backup and Recovery Tools, Device Driver Rollback, CD Burning, digital media features, Network Bridging, Personal Firewall, Remote Desktop Connection and the Migration Wizard.

--Great for beginners or advanced users, this is an indispensable resource for NT administrators, MCSE candidates, and business and home office users.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 1200 pages
• Publisher: Sybex Inc; 1st edition (October 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0782129811
• ISBN-13: 978-0782129816
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.6 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,266,050 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book, but prefer Windows XP Inside Out, November 12, 2001

By	Arthur A. Hayner (Averill Park, New York USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book "Mastering Windows XP Professional" and also "Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out". I recommend "Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out".

If you've never used a prior version of Windows, and are just looking for a book to get you started with XP, you will probably be happy with this book. Indeed, it may be the better book for beginners. However, I'd still recommend buying Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out instead. BOTH books address most questions you'll have from simple to complex, but "Inside Out", in my opinion, is easier to understand, easier from which to get answers and goes into greater depth in a clearer style on the advanced issues. Even if you're a novice, you may eventually appreciate the greater depth and the extra details that can sometimes make the whole picture fall into place.

I ordered both books from Amazon because I wanted to learn how to use "Share-Level Access", available in Windows 95/98/Me, in Windows XP. Specifically, I wanted to assign a "Read-Only" and "Full Access" password to my hard drive on my Windows XP Professional computer and share it with my other Windows 98 and Windows ME computers on my Windows peer-to-peer network. In "Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out" I found the answer in "Chapter 31: Managing Shared Folders and Printers" at the top of page 947 under the heading "A Third Model: Share-Level Access in Windows 95/98/Me". The "answer" is that Share-Level access no longer exists in Windows XP Professional, and unfortunately the "work around" requires setting up appropriate user accounts on the XP computer for the 9X/Me computers that wish to gain access to the XP computer. I was unable to find this answer in "Mastering Windows XP Professional". Also, in researching this question in "Mastering Windows XP Professional", I found the following quote in the chapter "Connecting to Windows XP Peer-to-Peer Networks and Domains" on page 641 under the heading Creating Shares:

"WARNING If you are using the NTFS file system on your computer and the other computers are using FAT or FAT32, they will not be able to access a drive on your computer even if it is shared."

Since I knew from my own experience that this was clearly wrong, I notified SYBEX, the publishers. To their credit they provide their website address on the back of the book, and on the site they invite you to report errors via an easy to use online form. Imagine my great surprise when I got a speedy e-mail reply (in one day) and soon thereafter got a personal phone call from Sybex management thanking me for bringing the matter to their attention, asking for suggestions for further improvements, and promising a speedy correction, which I believe they will implement. To err is human, but for a company to admit it, correct it, and provide that level of customer service is divine. I'll be keeping both books.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the price, September 22, 2002

By	Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Mark Minasi is considered by many (including myself) to be the preeminent authority on the Microsoft Windows operating system. In "Mastering Windows XP Professional" he takes on the monumental task of documenting Windows XP Professional for the new and experienced Windows user. Because it focuses on both experienced and new users, the first section has detailed instructions for such mundane tasks as starting Windows XP, opening programs, minimizing and closing screen windows, etc. From there it moves to more and more advanced topics as he teaches you the details of the system from beginning to end.

One of the problems with a book of this size and ambition is determining the goal of the author and from there determine if the book meets that goal. To this extent, the title "Mastering Windows XP Professional" should cover the details of the operating system. In this text Mark Minasi at times gives too much detail on items that are, and should be, covered well in other books (for example, HTML programming) and at other times properly keeps the coverage at an overview level because there are exhaustive texts available (for example, Windows Scripting Host or configuring IIS).

The book does what it promises in allowing a new or experienced user to master Windows XP Professional without trying to make them an IT, Networking, or Integration professional by covering many topics outside the realm of the basic XP operating system. Also, as is common with Minasi's books, this is not designed to be a study guide for certification but a reference for real-life users to deal with and resolve real-life problems.

Does this mean that this is the definitive text on Windows XP Professional? No. While it is an excellent text, it does not rise up to the level of Mark's other books. There seems to be a pattern developing in his works. For example, "Mastering Windows 2000 Professional" was somewhat disappointing, but the second edition became the definitive text. He is obviously listening to what people say about the books and incorporating their comments into the second and successive versions.

All-in-all it is well worth the money and a great reference book. It is well organized and covers several areas that are skipped over or minimally covered in other books. For example, Internet Connection Sharing is better documented here than in any other text I have seen to date. A recommended buy, but expect the second edition to become the definitive text on the subject when it comes out (as they always do).

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As a network engineer, I found it an excellent addition, November 3, 2001

By	Antony Chessor (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews

Are the first few chapters designed for the beginner? Yes. Does he say that up front? Yes. So the beginner has an excellent starting point (I really thought the graphic shortcuts in the front of the book were a nice touch for those people), while the "nuts and bolts" stuff in later chapters were more suited towards people who do this for a living.

But then if I find even a few tidbits that make my life easier when supporting MS products (which can be a royal pain), I consider the book to be well worth it.

If you are looking at supporting XP, don't assume that its the same as 2000. Get this book, read it over, and find out what new goodies they put into this release.