Introduction | p. XX |
How Computers Work - An Overview | p. 1 |
Hardware | p. 2 |
Software | p. 12 |
How Software and Hardware Work Together | p. 45 |
How Software Manages Hardware Resources | p. 46 |
The Booting Process | p. 64 |
Protecting Data, Software, and Hardware | p. 71 |
The Systemboard | p. 83 |
Types of Systemboards | p. 84 |
The CPU and the Chip Set | p. 87 |
ROM BIOS | p. 99 |
RAM (Random Access Memory) | p. 105 |
Wait States | p. 108 |
Buses and Expansion Slots | p. 108 |
On-Board Ports | p. 119 |
Hardware Configuration | p. 119 |
Interrupt Request Number (IRQ) | p. 121 |
DMA Controller | p. 124 |
Power Supply Connections | p. 124 |
Floppy Drives and Other Essential Devices | p. 141 |
Floppy Drives | p. 142 |
Keyboards | p. 172 |
Computer Video | p. 175 |
Pointing Devices | p. 179 |
Introduction to Hard Drives | p. 191 |
How a Hard Drive Is Physically Organized to Hold Data | p. 192 |
How a Hard Drive Is Logically Organized to Hold Data | p. 193 |
Using DOS to Manage a Hard Drive | p. 208 |
Formatting and Optimizing the Hard Drive | p. 220 |
Hard Drive Technology | p. 233 |
Removable Drives | p. 244 |
Hard Drive Installation and Support | p. 261 |
Installing a Hard Drive | p. 262 |
Utility Software | p. 277 |
Data Recovery | p. 291 |
Hard Drive Troubleshooting and Data Recovery | p. 313 |
Hard Drive Troubleshooting Guidelines | p. 324 |
Troubleshooting Fundamentals | p. 333 |
Troubleshooting Perspectives | p. 334 |
Protect Yourself, the Hardware, and the Software | p. 334 |
Tools to Help Support Personal Computers | p. 337 |
Handling Viruses | p. 342 |
How to Isolate Computer Problems and Devise a Course of Action | p. 343 |
Troubleshooting Guidelines: Peripheral Devices | p. 351 |
When a PC Is Your Permanent Responsibility | p. 364 |
Customizing a Personal Computer System with Peripheral Equipment | p. 381 |
The Right Tools for the Job | p. 382 |
Basic Principles | p. 386 |
Using Ports and Expansion Slots for Add-on Devices | p. 393 |
CD-ROM Drives | p. 411 |
Understanding and Managing Memory | p. 429 |
Physical Memory | p. 430 |
How Memory Is Used by DOS and Windows 95 | p. 437 |
Managing Memory with DOS or Windows 3.x | p. 445 |
Managing Memory with Windows 3.x | p. 456 |
Managing Memory with Windows 95 | p. 460 |
The Ultimate Solution: Windows NT | p. 464 |
Memory Troubleshooting Guidelines | p. 465 |
Upgrading Memory | p. 468 |
Electricity and Power Supplies | p. 485 |
Introduction to Basic Electricity | p. 486 |
Measuring the Voltage of a Power Supply | p. 490 |
Exchanging the Power Supply | p. 498 |
Energy Star Computers (the Green Star) | p. 501 |
Surge Protection and Battery Backup | p. 505 |
Supporting Windows 3.x and Windows 95 | p. 519 |
Supporting Windows 3.1 and Windows 3.11 | p. 520 |
Supporting Windows 95 | p. 545 |
Microsoft Support on the Internet | p. 577 |
Understanding and Supporting Windows NT Workstation | p. 587 |
Windows NT vs. Windows 95 | p. 588 |
The Windows NT Environment and Architecture | p. 598 |
Installing and Customizing Windows NT | p. 616 |
Supporting Windows NT and Applications | p. 624 |
The Windows NT Registry | p. 637 |
Windows NT Diagnostic Tools | p. 646 |
Mutimedia Technology | p. 657 |
Multimedia on a PC | p. 658 |
Multimedia PC Requirements | p. 661 |
Video Cards and Monitors | p. 668 |
Devices Supporting Multimedia | p. 674 |
Supporting Printers | p. 690 |
Purchasing a PC or Building Your Own | p. 703 |
Selecting a Personal Computer to Meet Your Needs | p. 704 |
Preparing to Build Your Own PC | p. 708 |
Building a Personal Computer, Step by Step | p. 710 |
Communicating over Phone Lines | p. 759 |
Communications Layers | p. 760 |
All About Modems | p. 763 |
Communications Software | p. 786 |
Troubleshooting Guidelines | p. 796 |
Faster Than Phone Lines | p. 799 |
Networking Fundamentals and the Internet | p. 809 |
An Overview of Networking | p. 810 |
Networking with Windows 95 and Windows NT Workstation | p. 831 |
PCs and the Internet | p. 847 |
Some Examples of Network Services | p. 870 |
Network Troubleshooting Guidelines | p. 882 |
Viruses, Disaster Recovery, and a Maintenance Plan That Works | p. 897 |
Preventive Maintenance | p. 898 |
Viruses and Other Computer Infestations | p. 901 |
All About Backups and Fault Tolerance | p. 911 |
The Professional PC Technician | p. 941 |
What Customers Want | p. 942 |
Providing Good Service on Support Calls | p. 944 |
Recordkeeping and Information Tools | p. 954 |
Professional Organizations and Certifications | p. 959 |
Staying Abreast of New Technology | p. 961 |
Protecting Software Copyrights | p. 962 |
Error Messages and Their Meanings | p. A-1 |
Hard Drive Types | p. B-1 |
ASCII Collating Sequence | p. C-1 |
The Hexidecimal Number System and Memory Addressing | p. D-1 |
Troubleshooting Guidelines | p. E-1 |
Glossary | |
Index | |
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