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Anonymous
Posted February 24, 2000
I first looked in this book for a serial-port pin-diagram to settle an argument at a hardware troubleshooting seminar. While browsing through I was so impressed by the quality of it's content that I immediately paid the $59.95 purchase price & comitted myself to reading it 'cover-to-cover.' I am now about 200-300 pages into the book and am even more impressed than I was at first. This book is a MUST HAVE for any good tech-support area (I recommend keeping 3-5 copies on-hand as you will end up with techs fighting for them when a call-in pops ANY hard question).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 27, 2001
I highly recommend this book to all the newbies in the industry. Well written and easy to follow!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 5, 2010
I Also Recommend:
Five out of Five Stars
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Upgrading And Repairing PCs by Scott Mueller is THE reference manual for PCs. This new edition of the book covers the latest technology, while still providing plenty of knowledge regarding the older technology as well. Scott writes in a way that is precise and easy to understand, which is incredibly helpful to everyone from beginners to those with an advanced level of knowledge regarding PCs. I highly recommend this book, as well as any books by Scott Mueller, in your quest for knowledge of PCs!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 21, 2010
I Also Recommend:
A LOT of information in one place. Could be overwhelming to the casual reader but a real find for someone what wants indepth information on computer hardware in one place. The DVD-ROM is a clear, easy to absorb, chunk of information which I recommend as a "view first" before jumping into the book. I wish I had read the book before I bought my last computer, I'll probably build my next one.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.PTW-105
Posted February 21, 2010
This book is definitely for people who are technicians or understand the technology gibberish. If you are someone who is just learning computers this is NOT the book for as it is simply too in-depth. This book is a must-have for any technician's reference library.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.snkeater
Posted February 20, 2010
I Also Recommend:
Have worked in all areas of I/T for the past 20 years this book is used more than any other for detailed, cogent. and extremely accurate information on the guts of PC's and laptops.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 2, 2003
He is the best when it comes to 'computer technology explained so I can understand.'
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 27, 2001
This is a great book in preparing for A+ Certification. I read it and took the sample questions on the CD, for two weeks straight. I passed both portions of the exam first time out.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 8, 2000
This book is great for the intermediate to advanced user in PC upgrades or repair. This guy really knows what he is talking about. I espicially enjoyed the software on the CD.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 7, 2000
The author appears to position this book as THE definitive guide to PC upgrade and repair. If so, this proactive assertion does an injustice to the reader. 1) I believe this book (and the 10th edition) contains a fair number of 'sins of omission and comission' (e.g., revisionist/inaccurrate computer history, incomplete understanding of x86 internals). 2) Although books of this size (1500+ pages) are rarely error-free, poetic license can be graced upon honest mistakes/typos. Opinionated diatribe warrants no such respect. It seems that at times, the author will serve opinions as bold facts. The author's take on overclocking (multiplier-lock/unlocking) is an example of this. 3) Fortunately, if you have a good grasp of x86 (PC), most of the 'hiccups' in this book will be trivial. 4) Overall, a good guide -especially to the beginner- but not THE definitive text on the subject of PC upgrade and repair. 5) This review is 100% personal opinion on the text in question. :)
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Posted January 14, 2010
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Posted January 8, 2010
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Posted May 31, 2010
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Posted January 15, 2010
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Posted May 19, 2009
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Posted February 4, 2010
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More About This Textbook
Overview
For 25 years, Upgrading and Repairing PCs has been the world’s #1 guide to PC hardware: The single source for reliable information on troubleshooting and fixing problems, adding hardware, optimizing performance, and building new PCs. Now, better than ever, this 21st edition offers beefed-up coverage of the newest hardware innovations and maintenance techniques, plus more than two hours of new DVD video.
Scott Mueller delivers practical answers about PC processors, mother-boards, buses, BIOSes, memory, SSD and HDD storage, video, audio, I/O, input devices, networks, Internet connectivity, power, and much more. You’ll find the industry’s best coverage of diagnostics, testing, and repair—plus cutting-edge discussions of improving performance via overclocking and other techniques.
Mueller has taught thousands of professionals in person and millions more through his books and videos—nobody knows more about keeping PCs running perfectly. Whether you’re a professional technician, a small business owner trying to save money, or a home PC enthusiast, this is the only PC hardware book you need!
NEW IN THIS EDITION
ON THE DVD
Get 2 hours of up-to-the minute, studio-quality how-to videos—all playable on your DVD player or computer! In this edition, Scott Mueller offers true insider information about several of the key components in a PC, including motherboards, solid-state drives, and more.
You will see a detailed tour of a modern high-performance motherboard, showing all the components from the processor socket and CPU voltage regulators to the audio and network chipsets, and more. You’ll learn how all the devices on the board are interconnected, so you can more easily understand their importance. There is a detailed segment comparing solid-state drives (SSDs) to conventional hard disk drives (HDDs), explaining all the differences and similarities between them in an easy to understand fashion. Finally, there are several segments on building a state-of-the art system from scratch using a high-performance overclockable motherboard and processor combination. You’ll see tips on how to best prepare the components, how to assemble the system properly, how to make the front panel connections much easier to deal with, and finally how to route the cables for maximum airflow and ease of future upgrades or repairs.
This DVD also contains the complete 19th and 20th editions of this book in printable form, plus extensive technical reference material, a comprehensive glossary, and more!
Editorial Reviews
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble ReviewIn 2003, there has been a bumper crop of new PC technology. And to help you assess it, implement it, fix it, Scott Mueller produced the indispensable 15th edition of his legendary Upgrading & Repairing PCs.
For example, this edition includes detailed coverage of AMD’s Opteron, the revolutionary 64-bit processor that delivers remarkable performance without sacrificing compatibility. Intel’s latest innovations are here, too -- notably the new Hyper Threading Technology, which gives you two “virtual processors” inside the same Pentium 4.
These processors have immense performance potential, but you’ll need new motherboards, memories, and chipsets to deliver on it. Mueller covers the latest, hottest stuff -- from higher bus speeds to dual-channel memory architecture. Along the way, he addresses everything from processor slots to form factors, cases, and power connectors -- the details wherein the devil often hides.
He’s equally strong on the “almost new” technologies now coming into widespread use. For example, as part of a detailed chapter on optical storage, he demystifies the bewildering menagerie of DVD standards (DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW). Which ones are likely to last? How do you minimize your risks? What do you need to know about copyright protection and other, umm, realities?
As the value of computers increasingly moves to the network, Mueller has increased the book’s coverage of networking, from LANs to broadband Internet connectivity. This edition covers all of today’s Wi-Fi wireless standards, slow to fast, cheap to expensive -- with a focus on interoperability issues.
Most computers that need repair or upgrading aren’t brand new, so Mueller presents systematic coverage of mainstream technologies, including every significant PC component. You’ll find entire chapters dedicated to your PC’s BIOS; to hard drives; to audio hardware; to I/O devices ranging from ancient RS-232 to contemporary USB 2.0, Serial ATA, and IEEE-1394b. Where you can upgrade existing devices to get the performance offered by newer interfaces, he tells you.
He covers myriad removable storage media from today’s external USB 2.0 and FireWire drives to those failed media formats that doubtless hold your Great American Novel. His detailed coverage of backup/restore issues includes exceptional guidance on trying to recover data that seems irretrievably lost (even data on formatted, repartitioned, or erased hard drives and formatted flash memory devices).
In recent editions, Mueller added a detailed troubleshooting index that identifies hundreds of common PC hardware problems and points you directly to the solutions. That’s still here, but the 15th edition adds new coverage on resurrecting dead systems and tracking down the flakiness in flaky systems.
Last but definitely not least, there’s a DVD-ROM with two full hours of thoroughly updated digital video, in which Mueller walks you through a laundry list of current PC maintenance and repair tasks. Thankfully, the DVD will run on your home DVD player -- so if you’ve taken your computer apart and you’ve got no idea what to do next, you can still have Mueller show you. Bill Camarda
Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks for Dummies, Second Edition.
Product Details
Related Subjects
Meet the Author
Scott Mueller is the 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. Scott’s seminars have been presented to several thousands of PC support professionals throughout the world.
Scott personally teaches seminars nationwide covering all aspects of PC hardware (including troubleshooting, maintenance, repair, and upgrade), A+ Certification, and data recovery/forensics. He has a knack for making technical topics not only understandable, but entertaining; his classes are never boring! If you have ten or more people to train, Scott can design and present a custom seminar for your organization.
Although he has taught classes virtually nonstop since 1982, 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 become the core of an entire series of books, including Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Upgrading and Repairing Laptops, and Upgrading and Repairing Windows.
Scott’s premiere work, Upgrading and Repairing PCs, has sold more than two 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, the Scott Mueller Forum, various computer and automotive newsletters, and the Upgrading and Repairing PCs website.
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
Web: www.muellertech.com
Email: info@muellertech.com
Forum: www.forum.scottmueller.com
Scott has a forum exclusively for his readers at www.forum.scottmueller.com. Anybody can view the forum, but posting is only available to registered members.
If you have suggestions or comments about the book or new book or article topics you would like to see covered, send them to info@muellertech.com.
Table of Contents
1. Development of the PC.
2. PC Components, Features, and System Design.
3. Microprocessor Types and Specifications.
4. Motherboards and Buses.
5. BIOS.
6. Memory.
7. The ATA/IDE Interface.
8. The SCSI Interface.
9. Magnetic Storage Principles.
10. Hard Disk Storage.
11. Floppy Disk Storage.
12. High-Capacity Removable Storage.
13. Optical Storage.
14. Physical Drive Installation and Configuration.
15. Video Hardware.
16. Audio Hardware.
17. I/O Interfaces from Serial and Parallel to IEEE-1394 and USB.
18. Input Devices.
19. Internet Connectivity.
20. Local Area Networking.
21. Power Supply and Chassis/Case.
22. Building or Upgrading Systems.
23. PC Diagnostics, Testing, and Maintenance.
24. File Systems and Data Recovery.
Appendix A. Glossary.
Appendix B. Key Vendor Contact Information.
Appendix C. Troubleshooting Index.
List of Acronyms.
Index.