Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows

by Mueller, Scott M.; Knittel, Brian

• ISBN13: 9780789736956
• ISBN10: 0789736950
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-09-25
• Publisher: Que Pub

Summary

The ultimate guide for anyone who wants to know how Windows ticks and how to keep it ticking. Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows, Second Edition, is the book hardcore Windows Vista and XP users have been clamoring for. Mueller, author of the bestselling Upgrading and Repairing PCs, and Knittel, famous for his bestselling Special Edition Using Windows books, now bring you an equally in-depth guide to Windows troubleshooting and repair. This comprehensive resource includes information on: Installation Licensing issues Managing security Optimizing performance Backing up and recovering data Networking your Vista and XP computers Dealing with annoying User Account (UAC) prompts Configuring settings and the registry Protecting Windows from viruses and spyware Multibooting Vista with other operating systems Automated Windows deployment for IT professionals Touted as the greatest operating system to ever be released, Vista is considered by many to be a vast improvement over its predecessors, such as XP and 95/98. All that power, however, comes at a price. As with most major OS revisions, Vista is rife with usability and compatibility issues that frustrate even the most seasoned system techs. If you only buy one book on Windows, this is the one. You wonrs"t find tried and true Vista coverage anywhere else. Find out how to make Windows work with you and not against you with Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows, Second Edition. On the DVD The DVD contains two hours of all new, studio quality videoplayable in your set-top DVD player and your computer! Scott digs deep into both Windows Vista and Windows XP. Topics include the differences between all of the various Windows editions and versions, coverage of the most important improvements in Vista, and reasons why you might even want to stay with XP instead. Also covered are Vista and XP installation tips and tricks, updating Windows, dealing with product activation, and more. Scott Mueller is the most trusted, authoritative hardware voice in the industry. In addition to teaching hardware repair to thousands of computer professionals and enthusiasts, he has sold more than 2.2 million copies of Upgrading and Repairing PCs, making him the most world-renowned hardware author in history. Scott has taught hardware repair to a host of agencies in the U.S. and foreign governments and to corporations in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. Scott also has appeared on Computer America, TechTV, and numerous local and national radio programs and serves as an industry expert for the news media. Brian Knittel has been a software developer for 30 years, with more than 20 years of real-world experience with MS-DOS, Windows, and computer networking in the business world. Previously, he wrote Windows XP Under the Hood: Hardcore Scripting and Command Line Power and is coauthor of several other Que books including Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows editions covering Vista, XP Home, XP Professional, and Windows 2000 Professional. www.informit.com/upgrading If you donrs"t have a DVD

Author Biography

Scott Mueller is president of Mueller Technical Research (MTR), an international research and corporate training firm. Since 1982, MTR has produced the industry’s most in-depth, accurate, and effective seminars, books, articles, videos, and FAQs covering PC hardware and data recovery. MTR maintains a client list that includes Fortune 500 companies, the U.S. and foreign governments, major software and hardware corporations, as well as PC enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. His seminars have been presented to several thousands of PC support professionals throughout the world.

 

Scott is best known as the author of the longest-running, most popular, and most comprehensive PC hardware book in the world, Upgrading and Repairing PCs, which has not only been produced in more than 18 editions, but has also become the core of an entire series of books. Scott has authored many books for more than 20 years, including Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 1^st through 18th editions; Upgrading and Repairing Laptops, 1st and 2nd editions; Upgrading and Repairing PCs: A+ Certification Study Guide, 1st and 2nd editions; Upgrading and Repairing PCs Field Guide; Killer PC Utilities; The IBM PS/2 Handbook; and Que’s Guide to Data Recovery. Scott recently completed Upgrading and Repairing PCs: Build a PC with Scott Mueller, a 2-hour DVD and 100-page book, which shows viewers how to build a computer, step-by-step. Contact MTR directly if you have a unique book, article, or video project in mind, or if you want Scott to conduct a custom PC troubleshooting, repair, maintenance, upgrade, or data-recovery seminar tailored for your organization:

 

Mueller Technical Research

3700 Grayhawk Drive

Algonquin, IL 60102-6325

847-854-6794

847-854-6795 Fax

Email: [e-mail]

Web: http://www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com

http://www.scottmueller.com

http://forum.scottmueller.com

 

Scott’s premiere work, Upgrading and Repairing PCs, has sold more than 2 million copies, making it by far the most popular and longest-running PC hardware book on the market today. Scott has been featured in Forbes magazine and has written several articles for PC World magazine, Maximum PC magazine, several newsletters, and the Upgrading and Repairing PCs website.

 

If you have suggestions for the next edition of this book, any comments about the book in general, or new book or article topics you would like to see covered, send them to Scott via email at [e-mail] or visit http://www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com. Scott has a forum exlusively for those who have purchased one of his books or DVDs. Visit http://forum.scottmueller.com to view the forum.

 

Brian Knittel has been a software developer for nearly 30 years. After doing graduate work in medical imaging technologies, he began a career as an independent consultant. An eclectic mix of clients has led to long-term projects in medical documentation, workflow management, realtime industrial system control, and most importantly, more than 15 years of real-world experience with MS-DOS, Windows, and computer networking in the business world. He is the author of Windows XP Under the Hood: Hardcore Scripting and Command Line Power, and is co-author of several other Que books including Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows editions covering XP Home, XP Professional, and Windows 2000 Professional. Brian lives in Albany, California, halfway between the tidal wave zone and the earthquake fault. He spends his free time snowboarding, restoring antique computers (check out www.ibm1130.org), and trying to perfect his wood-fired pizza recipes.

 

Mark Edward Soper has taught computer troubleshooting and other technical subjects to thousands of students from Maine to Hawaii since 1992. He is a longtime contributor to Upgrading and Repairing PCs, working on the 11th though 16th editions. He has contributed chapters to Upgrading and Repairing Networks, Second Edition, Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows, Millennium Edition, and Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP (both Home and Pro editions).

 

Mark coauthored both the first and second editions of Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Technician’s Portable Reference, and Upgrading and Repairing PCs: Field Guide and cowrote Upgrading and Repairing PCs: A+ Study Certification Guide, Second Edition. Mark also authored Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Home Networking, Absolute Beginner’s Guide to A+ Certification and currently is writing Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Home Automation. He is a regular contributor to Maximum PC magazine.

 

Mark Reddin is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and A+ Certified PC technician. In his younger days he enjoyed tinkering with computers during the time of the early Commodore and Atari systems (with all those wonderful games). Mark delved more seriously into computer technology during his undergraduate studies at Ball State University and has since been involved in the industry in various capacities. His experience with computers and networks has ranged from consulting to owning and operating a sales and repair shop. Additionally, he has been involved as both a technical and development editor with numerous Que publications over the past 5 years, including Upgrading and Repairing PCs and How Computers Work.

 

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
1 Windows Version History	p. 5
A Brief History of PC Operating Systems	p. 5
DOS History	p. 5
Evolution of DOS	p. 6
MS-DOS Versus PC DOS	p. 10
DOS Versions	p. 12
MS-DOS Alternatives	p. 18
The Evolution of Microsoft Windows	p. 19
16-Bit Windows	p. 20
The Windows 9x Family	p. 26
The Windows NT Family	p. 30
Alternative CPU OS Versions: Intel, Alpha, MIPS, and Motorola	p. 40
Service Packs, Hotfixes, and Rollups	p. 42
2 Windows Boot (Startup)	p. 45
System Layers	p. 45
Hardware Layers	p. 46
BIOS	p. 46
Hardware Abstraction Layer	p. 48
Device Drivers	p. 50
File Systems and Filters	p. 51
Services
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Introduction IntroductionWelcome toUpgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows, Second Edition. This is the book for people who want to know more about how to use and support Microsoft Windows than most other books dare to detail. While covering all versions in many respects, this book devotes most coverage to Windows Vista and XP. Whether you want to install, manage, or troubleshoot the Windows operating system, this book goes far deeper than just the basics. Whether you support a large network of Windows machines, a few Windows PCs in a small office/home office environment, or just a single at-home system, this book can quickly turn you into an advanced Windows power user. Is This Book for You?Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows, Second Editionis designed for people who want a thorough understanding of Windows and how it works without wasting time and pages on endless handholding through basic, everyday tasks. Each section fully explains management and troubleshooting issues related to Windows, including user management, networking, and security issues. Over the course of this book you'll develop a feel for what goes on behind the stylish graphical user interface so you can rely on your own judgment and observations and not some table of canned troubleshooting steps.Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows, Second Editionis written for people who will install, configure, maintain, and repair systems they use personally or in a corporate environment. To accomplish these tasks, you need a level of knowledge much higher than that of an average system user. You must know exactly which tool to use for a task and how to use the tool correctly. This book can help you achieve this level of knowledge. Chapter-by-Chapter BreakdownChapter 1, "Windows Version History," examines the very beginnings of PC operating systems from DOS all the way through Windows XP and Vista, including the latest Service Packs. Microsoft operating systems have had quite a wild ride over the years and it's amazing to see how the operating system we all use almost every day has become what it is.Chapter 2, "Windows Boot (Startup)," details the Windows startup process, including what takes place between power-up and the appearance of the Welcome screen. In addition, it includes detailed information about Windows services, which are processes that run in the background to provide support for Windows networking, searching, authentication, and management.Chapter 3, "Installing Windows," explains procedures and issues regarding the preparation and installation of Windows. It includes detailed steps for baseline installations for single desktops as well as in a more complex networked environment.Chapter 4, "Upgrading Windows," discusses how to upgrade Windows to a new version. You look at paths for upgrading existing systems to either Windows XP or Vista. Also shown are methods for migrating user settings and documents to new Windows computers.Chapter 5, "Tweaking and Tuning Windows," shows you how to configure Windows for peak performance and usability, using the Windows configuration dialogs and special-purpose tools such as TweakUI and the Registry Editor. In addition, we'll give you a checklist you can use to identify and fix the most common Windows performance bottlenecks.Chapter 6, "Networking Windows," tells you how to configure Windows to run a reliable and secure network at home or at the office. Whether you have two computers or two hundred, a network can immediately pay for itself--many times over--by letting you share printers, giving you access to files from any computer, and letting you share a single Internet connection among several computers.Chapter 7, "Protecting and Securing Windows,"