Like all Dummies books,
Upgrading & Fixing PCs for Dummies, Third Edition, shows you what you absolutely need to know and little more--but in very clear language. Oriented toward casual users who want to solve specific problems, the book pays attention to such troubles as parity error messages and out-of-memory warnings.
Upgrading & Fixing PCs for Dummies promotes the ideas that you shouldn't fix things that aren't broken and that you should apply the simplest possible solutions to the broken things. The guide includes excellent coverage of the hardware-management features in Windows 95.
This book's problem-oriented approach yields sections about common hardware-related problems, such as, "My printer puts out only junk characters!" and "How do I install a new hard drive?" Cartoon-like sequential diagrams outline physical procedures, such as installing and removing SIMMs. Similar drawings help you find key parts of your computer, such as the PCI slots and the video port.
Overall,
Upgrading & Fixing PCs for Dummies, Third Edition, does what all the Dummies books do--it clearly explains how to solve certain problems. If your particular troubles happen to fall outside of what's covered here, you'll need to consult a geekier reference book.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Customer Reviews & Comments
I first owned a PC when I was 14 and when my mom bought it for me I didn't know the difference between Windows and DOS and didn't even know what RAM or a CPU was. When I bought this I didn't really have any experience with using a PC, so after learning how to use one for awhile I purchased this book and read it. This taught me a lot about repairing computers and installing new hardware. Anyone who doesnt have a ton of Knowledge about computers and is just starting out with Computers should check this book out if you want to learn more about them. I know for me it helped out a lot. If you've been a computer user for years and already know how to install a Hard Drive, Motherboard, Video Card and Memory etc, then I would skip this one. It's not very technical at all and is obviously for people that don't know much about computers at all. It's really just a good place to start. I'm now 21 and have worked as a Computer Technician for about 3 years now. I definitely think that this book helped out a ton, it was definitely a good place to start. I believe there are to many people out there are afraid to upgrade/fix their own PC, maybe they are afraid they'll break it. That's all a part of the learning process and you'll never get anywhere if you don't take a risk and attempt to work on them. Most everything I've learned when it comes to upgrading computers is all Trial and Error. If one thing doesn't work out one way, just try it again some other way. I also have to mention that any of the For Dummies books are worth checking out. Believe it or not, for learning DOS I read DOS For Dummies. For being a Computer Technician DOS is one of the most useful things I've learned. If you don't know it I don't see how anyone could be a very good Technician.
