Table of Contents Index Reviews Reader Reviews Errata
Copyright Dedication Foreword Preface Audience Organization Conventions We'd Like to Hear from You Acknowledgments Chapter 1. Fundamentals Section 1.1. PCs Defined Section 1.2. PC Components and Technologies Section 1.3. System Resources Section 1.4. Building or Buying a PC Section 1.5. Upgrading a PC Section 1.6. Smart Buying Practices Section 1.7. Things to Do with Old PCs Chapter 2. Working on PCs Section 2.1. Rules to Upgrade By Section 2.2. Tools Section 2.3. General Procedures Chapter 3. Motherboards Section 3.1. Motherboard Characteristics Section 3.2. Choosing a Motherboard Section 3.3. Installing a Motherboard Section 3.4. Upgrading the System BIOS Section 3.5. Our Picks Chapter 4. Processors Section 4.1. Processor Design Section 4.2. Intel Processors Section 4.3. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Processors Section 4.4. Choosing a Processor Section 4.5. Installing a Processor Section 4.6. Our Picks Chapter 5. Memory Section 5.1. Understanding Memory Section 5.2. Memory Access Methods Section 5.3. Memory Packaging Section 5.4. How Much Memory Is Enough? Section 5.5. Memory Selection Guidelines Section 5.6. Installing Memory Section 5.7. Troubleshooting Memory Installation and Operation Section 5.8. Our Picks Chapter 6. Floppy Disk Drives Section 6.1. Diskette Types and Formats Section 6.2. Drive Types Section 6.3. FDD Interface and Cabling Section 6.4. Installing a Floppy Disk Drive Section 6.5. Working with FDDs Section 6.6. Working with Obsolete Diskette Formats Section 6.7. Salvaging Diskette Data Section 6.8. Our Picks Chapter 7. High-Capacity Floppy Disk Drives Section 7.1. High-Capacity FDD Types Section 7.2. Choosing a High-Capacity Floppy Disk Drive Section 7.3. Using an ATAPI Zip or SuperDisk Drive as the Boot Device Section 7.4. Drive Letter Assignment Problems Section 7.5. Our Picks Chapter 8. Removable Hard Disk Drives Section 8.1. Uses for Removable Hard Disk Drives Section 8.2. Cartridge-Based Removable Hard Disk Drives Section 8.3. Frame/Carrier-Based Removable Hard Disk Drives Section 8.4. Our Picks Chapter 9. Tape Drives Section 9.1. Choosing a Tape Drive Section 9.2. Installing and Configuring a Tape Drive Section 9.3. Care and Feeding of a Tape Drive Section 9.4. Troubleshooting Tape Drive Problems Section 9.5. The Dirty Little Secret of Long Filenames Section 9.6. Developing a Backup Strategy Section 9.7. Our Picks Chapter 10. CD-ROM Drives Section 10.1. Compact Disc Fundamentals Section 10.2. CD-ROM Drive Performance Section 10.3. Choosing a CD-ROM Drive Section 10.4. Installing and Configuring a CD-ROM Drive Section 10.5. Cleaning a CD-ROM Drive Section 10.6. Our Picks Chapter 11. CD-R and CD-RW Drives Section 11.1. CD Writers and Media Section 11.2. Writable CD Formats Section 11.3. CD Recording Methods Section 11.4. BURN-Proof Technology Section 11.5. Choosing a CD Writer Section 11.6. CD Writer Software Section 11.7. Installing and Configuring a CD Writer Section 11.8. Updating CD Writer Firmware Section 11.9. Media Issues Section 11.10. Burning CDs Section 11.11. Special Problems and Applications Section 11.12. Writable CD Troubleshooting Section 11.13. Additional CD-R(W) Source Material Section 11.14. Our Picks Chapter 12. DVD Drives Section 12.1. DVD-ROM Section 12.2. DVD Writable and Rewritable Section 12.3. Installing and Configuring a DVD Drive Section 12.4. Our Picks Chapter 13. Hard Disk Interfaces Section 13.1. IDE Section 13.2. SCSI Section 13.3. ATA Versus SCSI Section 13.4. Our Picks Chapter 14. Hard Disk Drives Section 14.1. How Hard Disks Work Section 14.2. Choosing a Hard Disk Section 14.3. Installing an ATA Hard Disk Section 14.4. Installing a SCSI Hard Disk Section 14.5. Preparing a Hard Disk for Use Section 14.6. Our Picks Chapter 15. Video Adapters Section 15.1. Video Adapter Characteristics Section 15.2. Choosing a Video Adapter Section 15.3. Installing a Video Adapter Section 15.4. Configuring Video Under Windows 98/Me/2000/XP Section 15.5. Configuring Video Under Windows NT 4 Section 15.6. Troubleshooting Video Adapter Problems Section 15.7. Our Picks Chapter 16. Displays Section 16.1. CRT Monitors Section 16.2. Flat-Panel Displays Section 16.3. Installing and Configuring a Display Section 16.4. Troubleshooting Display Problems Section 16.5. Our Picks Chapter 17. Sound Adapters Section 17.1. PC Audio Types Section 17.2. MIDI Synthesis Methods Section 17.3. Downloadable Sounds Section 17.4. Sound Card Components Section 17.5. Sound Card Characteristics Section 17.6. Choosing a Sound Card Section 17.7. Installing a Sound Card Section 17.8. Troubleshooting Sound Card Problems Section 17.9. MP3 Section 17.10. Our Picks Chapter 18. Speakers and Headphones Section 18.1. Speaker and Headphone Characteristics Section 18.2. Choosing Speakers and Headphones Section 18.3. Our Picks Chapter 19. Keyboards Section 19.1. Keyboard Switch Types Section 19.2. Keyboard Styles Section 19.3. Keyboard Interfaces Section 19.4. Choosing a Keyboard Section 19.5. Configuring a Keyboard Section 19.6. Cleaning a Keyboard Section 19.7. Troubleshooting and Repairing Keyboards Section 19.8. Our Picks Chapter 20. Mice and Trackballs Section 20.1. Mice Versus Trackballs Section 20.2. Mouse Characteristics Section 20.3. Choosing a Mouse Section 20.4. Configuring a Mouse or Trackball Section 20.5. Cleaning a Mouse Section 20.6. Troubleshooting a Mouse Section 20.7. Our Picks Chapter 21. Game Controllers Section 21.1. Game Controller Characteristics Section 21.2. Gameport Interface Section 21.3. Choosing a Game Controller Section 21.4. Installing a Game Controller Section 21.5. Troubleshooting Game Controllers Section 21.6. Our Picks Chapter 22. Serial Communications Section 22.1. Serial Communications Overview Section 22.2. Serial Ports Section 22.3. Serial Cables Section 22.4. Installing and Configuring Serial Port Hardware Section 22.5. Troubleshooting Serial Port Problems Section 22.6. Our Picks Chapter 23. Parallel Communications Section 23.1. Mapping Parallel Ports to LPTs Section 23.2. Parallel Port Types Section 23.3. Configuring Parallel Port Hardware Section 23.4. Parallel Connectors and Cables Section 23.5. Our Picks Chapter 24. USB Communications Section 24.1. USB Characteristics Section 24.2. USB Host Controller Interfaces Section 24.3. Configuring USB Section 24.4. Troubleshooting USB Section 24.5. Our Picks Chapter 25. Cases Section 25.1. Case Characteristics Section 25.2. Choosing a Case Section 25.3. Our Picks Chapter 26. Power Supplies Section 26.1. Power Supply Characteristics Section 26.2. Volts, Amps, Watts, and Regulation Section 26.3. Power Connectors Section 26.4. Choosing a Power Supply Section 26.5. Installing a Power Supply Section 26.6. Troubleshooting Power Supplies Section 26.7. Our Picks Chapter 27. Backup Power Supplies Section 27.1. What BPSes Protect Against Section 27.2. BPS Types Section 27.3. BPS Characteristics Section 27.4. Choosing a BPS Section 27.5. Our Picks Chapter 28. Building a PC Section 28.1. Step 1: Prepare the Case Section 28.2. Step 2: Configure the Motherboard Section 28.3. Step 3: Install the Processor Section 28.4. Step 4: Install the Memory Section 28.5. Step 5: Prepare Drives for Installation Section 28.6. Step 6: Install the Floppy Disk Drive Section 28.7. Step 7: Install Other Drives Section 28.8. Step 8: Install the Motherboard Section 28.9. Step 9: Connect Cables to the Motherboard Section 28.10. Step 10: Install Expansion Cards Section 28.11. Step 11: Perform the "Smoke Test" Section 28.12. Step 12: Install Software Section 28.13. Step 13: Finishing Touches Colophon Index
PC Hardware in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition
