Repairing and Upgrading Your PC

by Robert Bruce Thompson, Barbara Fritchman Thompson

Overview

Most computer users think that fiddling with the insides of their PC is taboo. They fear that by removing the screws that hold the case on, they're crossing into forbidden territory. And even for those who know they can open the box and fix or upgrade their PC, analysis paralysis often stops them in their tracks:

Which upgrades offer the best bang for the buck? How do you pinpoint the faulty component that's making your system freeze? What about compatibility issues?

Get ready to get unstuck and get your PC running fast and running right. Repairing and Upgrading Your PC delivers start-to-finish instructions, simple enough for even the most inexperienced PC owner, for troubleshooting, repairing, and upgrading your computer. Written by hardware experts Robert Bruce Thompson and Barbara Fritchman Thompson, this book covers it all: how to troubleshoot a troublesome PC, how to identify which components make sense for an upgrade, and how to tear it all down and put it back together. This book shows how to repair and upgrade all of your PC's essential components:

• Motherboard, CPU, and Memory. Choose the optimal match of these core components to keep your PC running at top speed
• Hard Drive, Optical Drive, and Removable Storage
• Give your computer what it needs for long-term and short-term storage
• Audio and Video. Enhance your computing experience with the right sound and graphics devices for your needs
• Input Devices. Pick the best keyboard and mouse to keep your hands happy and healthy
• Networking. Set up secure wireless networking to keep the bits flowing between your computers and the outside world
• Cases and Power Supplies. Keep everything running cool and reliably

With its straightforward language, clear instructions, and extensive illustrations, this book makes it a breeze for PC owners of any skill level to work on their computer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780596008666
Publisher:	Maker Media, Inc
Publication date:	02/20/2006
Pages:	448
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 9.75(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Robert Bruce Thompson is a coauthor of Building the Perfect PC, PC Hardware in a Nutshell and Astronomy Hacks. Robert built his first computer in 1976 from discrete chips. It had 256 bytes of memory, used toggle switches and LEDs for I/O, ran at less than 1MHz, and had no operating system. Since then, he has bought, built, upgraded, and repaired hundreds of PCs for himself, employers, customers, friends, and clients.

Barbara Fritchman Thompson is a coauthor of Building the Perfect PC, PC Hardware in a Nutshell, and Astronomy Hacks. Barbara worked for 20 years as a librarian before starting her own home-based consulting practice, Research Solutions, and is also a researcher for the law firm Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge, & Rice, PLLC.

Table of Contents

Dedication;
Foreword;
Preface;
Organization of This Book;
Acknowledgments;
We'd Like to Hear from You;
Chapter 1: Getting Started;
1.1 Upgrading or Repairing Versus Buying New;
1.2 Popular Upgrades;
1.3 Choosing Components;
1.4 Buying Components;
1.5 Troubleshooting;
Chapter 2: Working on PCs;
2.1 Rules to Upgrade and Repair By;
2.2 Hand Tools;
2.3 Software Tools;
2.4 General Procedures;
Chapter 3: System Maintenance;
3.1 System Cleaning;
3.2 Preventative Maintenance;
Chapter 4: Motherboards;
4.1 Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Motherboards;
4.2 A Motherboard Tour;
4.3 Identifying a Motherboard;
4.4 Replacing a Motherboard;
4.5 Troubleshooting and Maintaining Motherboards;
Chapter 5: Processors;
5.1 The Truth About Processor Performance;
5.2 Processor Characteristics;
5.3 Processor Types;
5.4 CPU Coolers;
5.5 Processor Upgrade Considerations;
5.6 Replacing the Processor;
5.7 Troubleshooting Processors;
Chapter 6: Memory;
6.1 Understanding Memory;
6.2 Memory Performance;
6.3 Other Memory Issues;
6.4 Choosing Memory;
6.5 Installing Memory;
6.6 Troubleshooting Memory Installation and Operation;
Chapter 7: Hard Disk Drives;
7.1 Hard Disk Drive Interfaces;
7.2 Choosing a Hard Disk Drive;
7.3 Installing a Hard Disk Drive;
7.4 Enabling DMA Mode Transfers (PATA Only);
7.5 Troubleshooting Hard Drive Problems;
Chapter 8: Optical Drives;
8.1 Optical Drive Types;
8.2 Optical Drive Performance;
8.3 Optical Disc Types;
8.4 Installing and Configuring an Optical Drive;
8.5 Troubleshooting Optical Drives;
Chapter 9: External and Removable Storage Devices;
9.1 Uses for External and Removable Storage;
9.2 External Hard Drives;
9.3 External Drive Enclosures;
9.4 Removable Hard Drive Enclosures;
9.5 USB Flash Memory Drives;
9.6 Tape Drives;
Chapter 10: Video Adapters;
10.1 Video Adapter Interfaces;
10.2 Choosing a Video Adapter;
10.3 TV Tuner/Capture Cards;
10.4 Installing a Video Card;
10.5 Configuring Windows Video;
10.6 Troubleshooting Video Adapters Problems;
Chapter 11: Displays;
11.1 CRT Displays;
11.2 LCD Displays;
11.3 Troubleshooting Display Problems;
Chapter 12: Audio;
12.1 Audio Adapters;
12.2 Audio Adapter Characteristics;
12.3 Choosing an Audio Adapter;
12.4 Installing a Sound Card;
12.5 Configuring an Audio Adapter Card Under Windows;
12.6 Speakers and Headphones;
12.7 Choosing Speakers and Headphones;
12.8 Troubleshooting Audio Problems;
Chapter 13: Input Devices;
13.1 Keyboards;
13.2 Mice and Trackballs;
13.3 Game Controllers;
Chapter 14: Wireless Networking;
14.1 Wireless Networking Standards;
14.2 Wireless Components;
Chapter 15: Cases;
15.1 Case Characteristics;
15.2 Tweaking Your Current Case;
Chapter 16: Power Supplies and Power Protection;
16.1 Power Supplies;
16.2 Choosing a Power Supply;
16.3 Power Protection;
Colophon;

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
Start with the practical PC repair/upgrade insights you'd expect to hear only from a live trainer. Add up-to-date answers to the questions you really have (which, somehow, other books fail to answer). Then, add plenty of color photos, and a clean, oversized format you can actually use while you're performing PC surgery. You've got O'Reilly's Repairing & Upgrading Your PC -- and you'll be glad you do.

What other book is this focused on keeping you from wasting money on products that don't deliver? Or reveals the interface "gotchas" that complicate adding internal drives? Or tells you that the best way to cool your system might be to simply move it a few inches? Or thoroughly demystifies buying video cards and LCD displays? Or helps troubleshoot everything from memory to USB? Best of all, like the authors' Building the Perfect PC, it's all in wonderfully readable English. Superb. Bill Camarda, from the May 2006 Read Only

bn.com