PC Hacks 100 Industrial-Strength Tips and Tools

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How to Use This Book

You can read this book from cover to cover if you like, but each hack stands on its own, so feel free to browse and jump to the different sections that interest you most. If there's a prerequisite you need to know about, a cross-reference will guide you to the right hack.

Since you'll be hacking your PC, and it probably contains all your data, never more than ever are you most strongly encouraged to follow three basic tenets of PC ownership: back up, Back Up, and BACK UP! While we won't intentionally lead you through a hack that will harm your system, life with a PC is not a matter of if your system will crash, but when. Backups, system restore points, software and hardware installation disks, and printouts of hard-to-remember or obscure details are very handy to keep safe but close at hand should you need them.

Pay careful attention to the details and precautions for each hack. Not all hacks will work with all PCs or installed hardware. After you've done your backup it will be to your benefit to gather all your manuals and driver disks or visit the web sites for your PC and peripheral vendors to get current documentation and drivers.

If you do not know all the details of your system—video, network, sound, mouse, printers, scanner, etc.—download, install, run, and print the results from a comprehensive system information utility program. SiSoftware's Sandra is quite comprehensive and readily available from http://www.sisoftware.net. This information will help you decide if your PC, add-ins, or peripherals qualify for a particular hack or not.

If your PC or any of its components are under manufacturer's warranty, you should think twice or three times about the impact of hacking on it. If a hack could void your warranty, you probably want to wait until the warranty expires before trying it.

Armed with these considerations and preparations, start with the aspect of your PC that bugs you the most—a slow hard drive, sluggish boot-up, choppy video, or a lingering I/O port problem—and dig in to the appropriate chapter.

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