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Summary: Updated edition now available!
Review: A new edition updated in Sept 2000 is available. Technology changes quickly . . .
Rating:
Summary: Updated edition now available!
Review: A new edition updated in Sept 2000 is available. Technology changes quickly . . .
Rating: 
Summary: Best Bang for Your Buck!
Review: As the author rightfully states in his introduction,that this book concentrates on PC symptoms and repair. I own several PC repair books including a recent edition of Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PC's. Where this book excels is in the formatting and content. Its not a computer theory book. Rather symptoms and their corresponding solutions can be quickly discerned. Working as a PC repair technician I don't have time to wade through lengthy discourses,in order to find a solution for uncommon problem.
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Summary: The Fifth Edition is Available!! Be sure to get it!
Review: Bigelow's Troubleshooting, Maintaining and Repairing PCs, FIFTH EDITION - is just fabulous. It is well written, comprehensive, yet simple to understand.Even newer computer users with only a basic understanding of computers will be able to handle any computer problem that arises. I think you will love this book - be sure to get the FIFTH EDITION, which was released in October 2001. It's the best.
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Summary: What a revision!
Review: Excellent edition of PC Troubleshooting! Very helpful with diagnostics.
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Summary: The Ultimate PC Troubleshooting Reference!
Review: Here is the most comprehensive, hands-on guide to PC repair, maintenance, and troubleshooting. This special new edition features three times as many PC symptoms and solutions than ever before. It's the ultimate PC troubleshooting reference guide for the professional technician and PC enthusiast alike. Correct your most difficult PC problems You'll find solutions to your toughest PC problems in this book and CD-ROM set. Highlighted by 10 new chapters and 5 new appendices, this thoroughly updated and expanded edition of the best-selling Troubleshooting, Maintaining, and Repairing PCs is your total guide to PC problem solving. Learn from the ultimate PC authority This mammoth resource-1,525 pages in all-reviews the fundamentals of PCs and peripherals and features: · A unique, alphabetized Symptoms at a Glance section stocked with fully explained solutions to over 1,200 PC problems (800 more than the first edition). · New CD-ROM full of shareware and freeware diagnostics and utilities that help you pinpoint the peskiest PC problems. (along with complete book in PDF format) · Newly organized material that makes locating beep, POST, and diagnostic codes much easier. · Fully revised DLS Technician's Certificate II test that also serves as an ideal prep for the A+ and ETA certification exams. · New web addresses in all 49 chapters, which offer extra details, self-study aid, and news on manufacturers and organizations. · An opportunity to get ongoing troubleshooting help via a subscription to The PC Toolbox™ newsletter. Turn here with tough-to-solve PC problems This exclusive edition is your quick and dependable cure for virtually every PC ailment. It includes new guidance on PC standards, the latest on PC newsgroups, Windows 95 shortcuts, and a bevy of reproducible forms. Make any computer do what you want Get all the technical know-how you need to get the job done. This complete guide to computer service and repair details common failures of each major computer subsection and peripheral and provides practical, realistic solutions to solve them. Whether you want to boost your PC repair business or just make your own machine purr, Troubleshooting, Maintaining, and Repairing PCs, Second Edition About the author Stephen J. Bigelow is the founder and president of Dynamic Learning System, a technical research and writing firm specializing in PC and peripheral service. An experienced electronics engineer, he is the author of several popular computer books, including Troubleshooting and Repairing Computer Monitors, Troubleshooting and Repairing Computer Printers, Troubleshooting and Repairing PC Drives and Memory Systems, now all in second editions. The editor of The PC Toolbox newsletter and the author of more than 90 articles, Bigelow teaches PC online courses at Ziff Davis University. Here's what you'll find in Bigelow's colossal new edition... GETTING STARTED: Inside today's desktop and tower Updated! Inside today's notebook Operating systems and the boot pro cess Updated! The preservice checkout Updated! SYSTEM DATA AND TROUBLESHOOTING: Batteries BIOS Updated! CD-ROM and CD-R Drives Updated! Chipsets Updated! CMOS Updated! Conflict troubleshooting Updated! CPU identification and troubleshooting Updated! Disk compression troubleshooting Updated! Drive adapter reference Updated! DVD drives NEW! Error codes NEW! Floppy drives More Symptoms! Hard drives Updated! ISA/EISA bus operations Joysticks and gameports More Symptoms! Keyboards More Symptoms! Laser/LED printers Updated! MCA bus operations Memory troubleshooting Updated! Memory managers NEW! Mice and trackballs More Symptoms! Modems and fax cards Updated! Monitor troubleshooting Updated! Motherboard troubleshooting Updated! Overlay software troubleshooting NEW! Other interfaces NEW! Parallel (Centronics) port troubleshooting PC cards and peripherals Updated! PCI bus operations Pen systems and touch pads More Symptoms! Plug-and-Play configuration and troubleshooting NEW! Pow! er Supplies, high voltage Removable media drives NEW! SCSI! systems and troubleshooting Updated! Serial (RS-232) port troubleshooting Sound boards Updated! Tape Drives Updated! Video adapters and accelerators Updated! Video capture/PC-TV boards Updated! Virus symptoms and countermeasures Updated! VL bus operations SYSTEM MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT: Adding a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD-ROM Drive Updated! Adding a floppy drive Adding memory Adding a second hard drive Adding a sound card Backing up the system Updated! Data-recovery techniques Updated! Enhancing drive performance Updated! Fans and cooling devices Floppy drive testing and alignment Monitor testing and alignment Power protection Updated! Preventive Maintenance NEW! System assembly procedures NEW! Upgrading a microprocessor Updated! Upgrading a motherboard Upgrading a power supply Upgrading system BIOS Updated! APPENDICES - 9 count 'em 9 Appendices 5 All New!
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Summary: Better than Certified Technical Support !
Review: I bought a HP Pavillion 8785C and within the year had so many problems that the PC was racking up more mileage than me! It was 'fixed??' twice by HP. Motherboard changed, Modem changed, RAM changed.. You name it, they changed it and still couldn't solve the problem! I was ready to dump the PC after spending [money] in phone calls to HP Help! They even re-routed my call to India! And kept advising me to re-format my hard drive. Then I bought this book and the solution was on page 698! Symptom 19-3.
Within an hour after checking the heat sink and changing the fan, I was back in business. I could have saved so much money if I had bought this book earlier. Fedup with Tech Support? Get this book! Maybe HP should invest in a couple of hundred copies for their staff.
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Summary: Good Book
Review: I want Know This Book
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Summary: Disappointed
Review: I was disappointed to find out that the 5th edition does not include an electronic version of the text on the CDROM. I was hoping to be able to carry around just the CDROM along with my laptop because it just is not practical to lug around a book that's about the size of a big city phone book and weighs maybe 10 pounds.
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Summary: Great book if you are looking for help on the A+ exam!
Review: I would suggest this book for general repair or if you are trying for the A+ exam. There are very good test questions that have supporting information for help. I consider this a much have for you shelf of support documention.
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