Book description
The best all-around guide for diagnosing, maintaining and protecting your PC.
Offers advice from the best PC guys in the business, so users can feel confident to do everything from troubleshooting to repairing a computer.
Broad coverage of common PC maladies found in the hardware, software, and operating systems
Easy to use advice shows what users can do right now (in about 10 minutes) to protect their computers.
Table of contents
- Copyright
- About the Authors
- Acknowledgments
- Tell Us What You Think!
-
Introduction
- Why You Need This Book
- How to Use This Book
-
How This Book Is Organized
- Chapter 1: PC Anatomy 101
- Chapter 2: Troubleshooting Windows XP and Windows Applications
- Chapter 3: Troubleshooting Storage Devices
- Chapter 4: Troubleshooting Your Printer
- Chapter 5: Troubleshooting Graphics and Sound Problems
- Chapter 6: Troubleshooting Multimedia and Imaging Devices
- Chapter 7: Troubleshooting I/O Ports and Input Devices
- Chapter 8: Troubleshooting Your Network and Internet Connections
- Chapter 9: Troubleshooting Memory, Processor, and System Performance Problems
- Chapter 10: Troubleshooting Power Problems
- Appendix: Flowcharts and Troubleshooting Methodology
- Special Elements in This Book
-
1. PC Anatomy 101
- Subsystems Make the Computer
- All Around a Desktop PC
- Stop ESD—Don’t Fry Your PC!
- Inside a Typical PC
- All Around a Notebook Computer
- Controlling Your PC’s Operation with BIOS Setup
- Hardware Resources
- Using Your Computer’s Anatomy for Troubleshooting
-
2. Troubleshooting Windows XP and Windows Applications
- Fixing Startup Problems
- Fixing Shutdown Problems
- Using Control Panel
- Using Device Manager
- Using the Windows XP Hardware Troubleshooter
- Other Windows Diagnostic, Reporting, and Repair Tools
- Keeping Windows Healthy with Service Packs and Windows Update
- Performing a Repair Installation
-
Fixing Programs That Won’t Run
- Troubleshooting Programs That Won’t Run Under Windows XP
- Troubleshooting Programs That Won’t Run from Shortcuts
- Troubleshooting Programs That Won’t Run from Windows Explorer
- Adding a Shortcut
- Why Application Software Can Fail
- Researching Your Program’s Compatibility with Windows
- I’m Not Sure What My Exact Program Version Is
- I’m Having Problems Removing My Application
- I’m Having Problems Reinstalling My Application
- Upgrading Applications
- Problems with Applications’ Default Settings
- The Unworkable Application
- Troubleshooting Games
- Troubleshooting STOP Errors with Windows XP
- Stopping Viruses
- Slamming Spyware
-
3. Troubleshooting Storage Devices
- Troubleshooting Installed Hard Disk Drives
- Non-Bootable Floppy Disk in Drive A:
- Troubleshooting ATA/IDE Hard Disks
- Troubleshooting Serial ATA (SATA) Hard Disk Drives
- Troubleshooting IEEE-1394 Drives
- Troubleshooting a USB Drive
- Troubleshooting a PC Card/CardBus Drive
- Determining Actual Drive Failure Has Occurred
-
Preparing a Hard Disk for Use
- Preparing an Additional Hard Disk with Windows XP
- Preparing a Bootable Hard Disk with Windows XP
- Troubleshooting Problems with Recognizing Full Drive Capacity
- Troubleshooting Disk Partitioning Problems
- Troubleshooting Booting Problems
- Troubleshooting Hard Disk or Optical Drive Bootup Problems
- Preparing Other Drives to Act as Bootable Devices
- Solving UDMA Mode Problems with ATA/IDE Drives
- Upgrading a Portable Hard Disk
-
Solving Problems with Writeable CD and DVD Media
-
Solving Can’t-Write-to-Media Problems
- Troubleshooting Incorrect Media and Media Usage Problems
- Troubleshooting CD-Mastering Drive Support Problems
- Troubleshooting Problems with Closed Media
- Troubleshooting Drag-and-Drop (Packet-Writing) Problems
- Troubleshooting Problems with the Writeable Drive Hardware
- Troubleshooting Problems with Windows XP and Writeable Drives
- Troubleshooting Drives That Windows XP Doesn’t Recognize
- Erasing CD-RW Media Created with Windows XP’s CD-Writing Wizard
- Adjusting and Disabling the Windows XP CD-Writing Feature
- Troubleshooting Recorded Media You Can’t Read on Another System
- Troubleshooting Buffer Underruns
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Solving Can’t-Write-to-Media Problems
- 4. Troubleshooting Your Printer
-
5. Troubleshooting Graphics and Sound Problems
- Troubleshooting the Display Subsystem
- Troubleshooting Monitors and Displays
- Troubleshooting Graphics Cards
- Troubleshooting 3D Game Performance and Image Quality
-
Troubleshooting Audio
-
Can’t Record or Play Back Sounds
- Troubleshooting Problems with Sound Card Installation and Drivers
- Troubleshooting Problems with Speaker and Microphone Connections
- Troubleshooting the Sound Volume Controls
- Can’t Hear Sound from Additional Speakers
- Troubleshooting Problems with 3D Sound in Games
- Troubleshooting Playback Problems with Music CDs
-
Can’t Record or Play Back Sounds
-
6. Troubleshooting Multimedia and Imaging Devices
- Troubleshooting DV Camcorder Connections
-
Troubleshooting Digital Camera Connections
- Troubleshooting Digital Camera Configuration Problems
- Troubleshooting Digital Camera Power Problems
- Troubleshooting Digital Camera and USB Port/Hub Problems
- Troubleshooting AutoPlay Problems
- Preventing and Troubleshooting Data Loss in Digital Cameras
- Troubleshooting File-Viewing Problems
- Troubleshooting Problems with Camera and Printer Docks
- Troubleshooting Flash Memory Card Readers
- Troubleshooting DVD Playback
- Troubleshooting MP3 Digital Music and Media Players
- Troubleshooting Scanners
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7. Troubleshooting I/O Ports and Input Devices
- I/O Port Uses and Types
- Diagnosing Problems with Ports and Input Devices
- Troubleshooting USB Ports and Hubs
- Troubleshooting IEEE-1394 Ports and Hubs
- Troubleshooting Keyboards and Mice
- Troubleshooting Serial and Parallel Ports
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8. Troubleshooting Your Network and Internet Connections
- Troubleshooting Missing or Outdated Software Components
- Troubleshooting Problems with Secure Websites
- Troubleshooting Problems with Viewing Certain Websites
- Troubleshooting a Dial-Up (Analog Modem) Connection
- Troubleshooting a Broadband Internet Connection
- Troubleshooting Ethernet Networks
- Troubleshooting Wi-Fi Networks
- Troubleshooting Routers and Gateways
- Troubleshooting PC Card/CardBus Devices
- TCP/IP Configuration and Troubleshooting
-
9. Troubleshooting Memory, Processor, and System Performance Problems
- Troubleshooting Slow System Performance
- Troubleshooting Virtual Memory
- Troubleshooting Memory Upgrades
- Troubleshooting Defective Memory or Memory Sockets
- Troubleshooting Processor Failures
- Troubleshooting Processor Upgrades
- Troubleshooting Motherboard Failures
-
Troubleshooting Motherboard Upgrades
- Making Sure Your New Motherboard Will Fit into Your Case
- I’m Having a Hard Time Fitting My New Motherboard into My Case
- Preventing Damage to Your Motherboard During Memory and Add-in Card Installations
- Preventing Damage from Loose Components Inside the Case
- Diagnosing Other Motherboard Problems
- My System Beeps Abnormally After I Restart It with the New Motherboard in Place
- Troubleshooting Cooling Problems
- 10. Troubleshooting Power Problems
-
A. Troubleshooting Methods and Flowcharts
- The Troubleshooting Process
- Summarizing the Troubleshooter’s Philosophy
-
Flowcharts
- The Computer Starts, but the Screen Is Blank
- Part of the Screen Image Is Missing
- Display Has Too Few Colors
- Display Has Wavy Lines
- CRT Display Is Flickering
- 3D Gaming Display Quality Problems
- 3D Gaming Display Speed Problems
- Audio Hardware Problems
- Speaker and Volume Control Problems
- Can’t Connect to the Internet via a Dial-Up Connection
- Can’t Connect to Internet via Broadband or PPPoE
- Email Problems
- Web Page Problems
- File Download Problems
- Can’t Access Shared Files
- Some Network Users Can’t Access Shared Resources
- Local Printer Doesn’t Print
- Network Printer Doesn’t Print
- Print Quality Problems
- Scanner Problems
- My Camera/Printer Dock Doesn’t Work
- ATA/IDE Disk Drive Installation Troubleshooting
- Can’t Prepare ATA/IDE Hard Drive After Installation
- Hard Drive Doesn’t Boot
- Can’t Change Contents of ATA/IDE Hard Drive
- General Optical Drive Problems
- DVD Media Compatibility
- Buffer Underrun Problems on Drives without Underrun Protection
- CD-R and CD-RW Drive and Media Troubleshooting
- Buffer Underrun Problems on Drives with Underrun Protection
- Rewriteable (CD-RW) Media Problems
- Can’t Copy or Drag and Drop Files to CD-R or CD-RW Media
- Can’t Read Recordable (CD-R) Media
- Can’t Delete Files from a CD-RW or Rewriteable DVD Disc
- IDE Removable Media and Optical Drive Troubleshooting
- Removable Media and Flash Memory Problems
- Floppy Drive Problems
- Can’t Change Contents of a Floppy Disk
- My PS/2 Keyboard or Mouse Doesn’t Work
- Some Keys on the Keyboard Don’t Work
- No Keys on the Keyboard Work
- General Pointing Device Problems
- Pointing Device Won’t Move
- Pointing Device Responsiveness Problems
- Pointing Device Problems in a Portable PC
- Wireless Input and Pointing Device Problems
- I/O Port Is Detected but Not Working Properly
- USB Device Troubleshooting
- Can’t Detect Installed IEEE-1394 Port
- IEEE-1394 Device Troubleshooting
- Parallel Port Troubleshooting
- The Computer Doesn’t Start
- The Computer Displays Error Messages at Startup
- Windows Starts only in Safe Mode
- Can’t Start a Program from a Shortcut
- A Program Displays an Error When I Use It
Product information
- Title: Leo Laporte’s Guide to Safe Computing
- Author(s):
- Release date: December 2005
- Publisher(s): Que
- ISBN: 9780768683929
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