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"Windows XP Pro: The Missing Manual, Second Edition": Getting the Most Out of Windows with the Least Frustration

December 17, 2004

Sebastopol, CA--Windows XP Professional may offer rock-solid stability and a modern look, but it still doesn't come with a printed manual. "To learn about the thousands of pieces of software that make up this operating system, you're expected to read the online help screens," report David Pogue, Craig Zacker, and L.J. Zacker, authors of the newly revised and fully updated Windows XP Pro: The Missing Manual, Second Edition (O'Reilly, US $29.95).

"Unfortunately," they continue, "these help screens are tersely written, offer very little technical depth, and lack examples and illustrations. You can't even mark your place, underline, or read them in the bathroom. In Windows XP, many of the help screens are actually on Microsoft's web site; you can't see them without an Internet connection. Too bad if you're on a plane somewhere with your laptop."

The critically acclaimed Windows XP Pro: The Missing Manual is the crystal-clear, jargon-free book that should have been in the box. It delivers step-by-step instructions for using just about every Windows feature, including those many users don't even know exist, let alone know how to master.

For those who use XP Pro on a corporate network or on their own PCs, this book includes:

  • Getting started: the book's early chapters cover such basics as finding lost files and taming the three-column Start menu
  • Mastering the network: special chapters help users navigate the corporate network, dial in from the road, and even set up their own small-office networks (workgroups)
  • Understanding security: user accounts, file encryption, and the NTFS file system keep private files private, while still offering access to specified family members or coworkers
  • Flying the Net: in addition to detailed coverage of Outlook Express 6, Internet Explorer 6, and Windows Messenger, this expanded edition explores Service Pack 2 (SP2), adjusting firewalls, and keeping PCs free from spyware and viruses
  • Mastering XP: new tutorials in this edition cover Bluetooth file sharing, wireless networking, editing the Registry, and much more
  • Windows XP Pro: The Missing Manual isn't for system administrators or OS theory geeks; this witty and wise guide is for the novice or budding power user who wants to master the machine and get down to work.

    Praise for the previous edition:

    "Even if you've used every version of Microsoft Windows since 3.0, you're still likely to be foxed once in a while. You can't turn to the manual because there isn't one--or there hasn't been until now. O'Reilly's excellent range of Missing Manuals includes a thorough guide to Windows XP Professional, which describes just about every aspect of the OS from basics such as using Outlook Express to more complicated troubleshooting techniques and obscure utilities. This title fills the gap between the woefully inadequate leaflet you get with Windows and Microsoft's expensive and technical Resource Kit."
    --Simon Edwards, "Computer Shopper," October 2003

    "Touted as being the true manual that Microsoft should have bundled with its last OS release, this title is a great introductory tool to the world of Windows XP Professional...This book achieves its objectives of making Windows XP easier to use and allowing PC users from all walks of life to harness the full working power of Windows XP Professional. The jargon-free text was a joy to read and use when dealing with a problem within XP."
    --Ryan Shaw, "Australian PC World," June 2003

    "The latest in the Missing Manual series from O'Reilly. These fill in the blanks found, or rather 'not found,' in the manuals provided by software companies. They add a lot more than that, explaining what's happening and how to change it or delete it, in language that's much clearer than the manuals that come with the products."
    --Bob Schwabach, "On Computers," February, 2003

    Further reviews can be found here.

    Additional Resources:

    Windows XP Pro: The Missing Manual, Second Edition
    David Pogue, Craig Zacker, and L. J. Zacker
    ISBN: 0-596-00898-8, 689 pages, $29.95 US, $43.95 CA
    order@oreilly.com
    1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000

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