Upgrading and Repairing PCs

This is the eBook version of the print title. Access to the media files found on the DVD included with print editions included with Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 21st Edition, is available through product registration—see instructions in back pages of your eBook.   For 25 years, Upgrading and Repairing PCs has been the world’s #1 guide to PC hardware: The single source for reliable information on troubleshooting and fixing problems, adding hardware, optimizing performance, and building new PCs. Now, better than ever, this 21st edition offers beefed-up coverage of the newest hardware innovations and maintenance techniques, plus more than two hours of new DVD video.   Scott Mueller delivers practical answers about PC processors, mother-boards, buses, BIOSes, memory, SSD and HDD storage, video, audio, I/O, input devices, networks, Internet connectivity, power, and much more. You’ll find the industry’s best coverage of diagnostics, testing, and repair—plus cutting-edge discussions of improving performance via overclocking and other techniques.   Mueller has taught thousands of professionals in person and millions more through his books and videos—nobody knows more about keeping PCs running perfectly. Whether you’re a professional technician, a small business owner trying to save money, or a home PC enthusiast, this is the only PC hardware book you need!   NEW IN THIS EDITION •        The newest processors, including Intel’s 3rd generation Ivy Bridge Core i-Series processors and AMD’s 2nd generation Trinity CPUs •        3TB (and larger) disks, 4K sectoring, partition alignment, faster SATA disk interfaces, and SSD (solid state drive) hard drive replacements •        New firmware innovations, from full UEFI BIOS support to built-in motherboard flash BIOS upgrade utilities •        Integrated video and audio, including 5.1/7.1 surround sound, HDMI, and DisplayPort connections, and Windows 8 compatible multi-touch touchscreen technology •        Updated PCI Express 3.0, 4.0 interfaces, and Power Supply specifications for powering high-end video cards •        Emerging interfaces such as SATA Express, USB 3.0, and Thunderbolt •        Updated coverage of building PCs from scratch—from choosing and assembling hardware through BIOS setup and troubleshooting     INCLUDED MEDIA Don't forget about the free bonus content available online! You'll find a cache of helpful material to go along with this book. To access these materials at no extra cost, see the instructions included in the back pages of this ebook. You will be required to register your book and supply a code found in the instructions.   Download two hours of up-to-the minute, studio-quality how-to videos—all playable on your computer! In this edition, Scott Mueller offers true insider information about several of the key components in a PC, including motherboards, solid-state drives, and more.   You will see a detailed tour of a modern high-performance motherboard, showing all the components from the processor socket and CPU voltage regulators to the audio and network chipsets, and more. You’ll learn how all the devices on the board are interconnected, so you can more easily understand their importance. There is a detailed segment comparing solid-state drives (SSDs) to conventional hard disk drives (HDDs), explaining all the differences and similarities between them in an easy to understand fashion. Finally, there are several segments on building a state-of-the art system from scratch using a high-performance overclockable motherboard and processor combination. You’ll see tips on how to best prepare the components, how to assemble the system properly, how to make the front panel connections much easier to deal with, and finally how to route the cables for maximum airflow and ease of future upgrades or repairs.   You also can download PDFs of the complete 19th and 20th editions of this book.  

Table of Contents:
        Introduction 1 1    Development of the PC 5     Computer History: Before Personal Computers 5         Timeline 5         Electronic Computers 10     Modern Computers 10         From Tubes to Transistors 11         Integrated Circuits 13     History of the PC 14         Birth of the Personal Computer 14         The IBM Personal Computer 15         The PC Industry 30 Years Later 16 2    PC Components, Features, and System Design 19     What Is a PC? 19         Who Controls PC Software? 20         Who Controls PC Hardware? 23         White-Box Systems 26     System Types 26     System Components 28 3    Processor Types and Specifications 29     Microprocessor History 29         The First Microprocessor 29         PC Processor Evolution 32         16-Bit to 64-Bit Architecture Evolution 34     Processor Specifications 35         Data I/O Bus 42         Address Bus 42         Internal Registers (Internal Data Bus) 44         Processor Modes 44         Processor Benchmarks 49         Comparing Processor Performance 49         Cache Memory 53     Processor Features 60         System Management Mode (SMM) 60         Superscalar Execution 61         MMX Technology 62         Dynamic Execution 64         Dual Independent Bus Architecture 65         HT Technology 65         Multicore Technology 66         Hardware-Assisted Virtualization Support 68     Processor Manufacturing 69         Processor Re-Marking 74         PGA Chip Packaging 74         Single Edge Contact and Single Edge Processor Packaging 75     Processor Socket and Slot Types 75         Socket 478 78         Socket LGA775 79         Socket LGA1156 80         Socket LGA1366 81         Socket LGA1155 82         Socket LGA2011 83         Socket 939 and 940 83         Socket AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+ 84         Socket F (1207FX) 86         Socket FM1 86         Socket FM2 86     CPU Operating Voltages 87     Math Coprocessors (Floating-Point Units) 87     Processor Bugs and Steppings 88     Processor Code Names 88     P1 (086) Processors 89     P2 (286) Processors 90     P3 (386) Processors 91     P4 (486) Processors 92     P5 (586) Processors 93         AMD-K5 96     Intel P6 (686) Processors 96         Pentium Pro Processors 97         Pentium II Processors 97         Pentium III 99         Celeron 100     Intel Pentium 4 Processors 101         Pentium 4 Extreme Edition 104         Intel Pentium D and Pentium Extreme Edition 106     Intel Core Processors 108         Intel Core 2 Family 108         Intel (Nehalem) Core i Processors 110     AMD K6 Processors 114         NexGen Nx586 114         AMD-K6 Series 116     AMD K7 Processors 117         AMD Athlon 117         AMD Duron 118         AMD Athlon XP 118         Athlon MP 120     AMD K8 Processors 120         AMD Athlon 64 and 64 FX 120         AMD Sempron 124         AMD Athlon X2, 64 X2, and 64 FX 125     AMD K10 Processors (Phenom, Phenom II, Athlon II, Athlon X2, Sempron) 126     AMD “Bulldozer” and “Piledriver” FX Processors 128     AMD Fusion/HSA (Heterogeneous Systems Architecture) APUs 131     Processor Upgrades 132     Overclocking 133         Quartz Crystals 134         Modern PC Clocks 136         Overclocking Tips 138         Unlocking Cores 139         Bus Speeds and Multipliers 140     Processor Cooling 142         Heatsinks 143         Liquid Cooling 148         Thermally Advantaged Chassis 149     Processor Troubleshooting Techniques 151 4    Motherboards and Buses 155     Motherboard Form Factors 155         Obsolete Form Factors 156         ATX and Other Modern Form Factors 167     Processor Sockets/Slots 178     Chipsets 181         Chipset Evolution 181         Intel Chipsets 183         Intel Chipset Model Numbers 184         Intel Integrated Graphics Architecture 185         AMD Integrated Graphics Architecture 185         Traditional North/South Bridge Architecture 185         Hub Architecture 187         HyperTransport and Other Processor/Chipset Interconnects 188     Intel’s Early 386/486 Chipsets 190     Fifth-Generation (P5 Pentium Class) Chipsets 190     Sixth-Generation (P6 Pentium Pro/II/III Class) Chipsets 192     Seventh/Eighth-Generation (Pentium 4/D, Core2, and Core i) Chipsets 195         Intel 915 Family 202         Intel 925X Family 203         Intel 945 Express Family 203         Intel 955X and 975X Family 204         Intel 96x Series 204         Intel 3x and 4x Series Chipsets 205         Intel 5x Series Chipsets 208         Intel 6x Series Chipsets 211         Intel 7x Series Chipsets 213     Third-Party Chipsets for Intel Processors 215         SiS Chipsets 215         ULi Electronics Chipsets 215         ATI Chipsets 216         VIA Chipsets 216         NVIDIA Chipsets for Intel Processors 216     Chipsets for AMD Processors 217     AMD Athlon Chipsets 217     AMD Athlon 64 Chipsets 218         AMD 8000 (8151) Chipset 219         AMD (Formerly ATI) Chipsets for Athlon 64, Sempron, Phenom 220         Third-Party Chipsets for AMD Processors 226         VIA Chipsets 226         SiS Chipsets 227         NVIDIA Chipsets 227     Super I/O Chips 228     Motherboard Connectors 228     System Bus Types, Functions, and Features 239         The Processor Bus (FSB) 245     Types of I/O Buses 245         The ISA Bus 245         The Micro Channel Bus 246         The EISA Bus 246         Local Buses (VESA, PCI, PCI Express, AGP) 246     System Resources 254         Interrupts 254         DMA Channels 259         I/O Port Addresses 259     Motherboard Selection Criteria (Knowing What to Look For) 260         Chipset Documentation 262 5    BIOS 263     BIOS Basics 263     Motherboard ROM BIOS 267         ROM Hardware 267         ROM Shadowing 269         ROM Chip Types 269         ROM BIOS Manufacturers 273         BIOS Hardware/Software 274     Upgrading the BIOS 274         Where to Get Your BIOS Update 275         Determining Your BIOS Version 275         Checking the BIOS Date 275         Backing Up Your BIOS 276         Backing Up Your BIOS Setup (CMOS RAM) Settings 276         Upgrading a Flash BIOS 277         Motherboard CMOS RAM Addresses 285     Preboot Environment 287     Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) 289         UEFI and BIOS Limitations 290         UEFI Support 291     BIOS Setup 292         Running or Accessing the BIOS Setup Program 292         BIOS Setup Menus 292         Maintenance Menu 293         Main Menu 294         Advanced Menus 295         Security Menu 311         Power Menu 312         Boot Menu (Boot Sequence, Order) 314         Exit Menu 315         Additional BIOS Setup Features 316     PnP BIOS 317         PnP Device IDs 318         ACPI 318     BIOS/MBR Error Messages 319         BIOS Boot Error Messages 320         MBR Boot Error Messages 322 6    Memory 325     Memory Basics 325         ROM 327         DRAM 327         Cache Memory: SRAM 329     Memory Standards 331     Speed and Performance 332         Fast Page Mode DRAM 335         Extended Data Out RAM 336         SDRAM 337         DDR SDRAM 338         DDR2 SDRAM 340         DDR3 SDRAM 342         DDR4 SDRAM 344         RDRAM 345     Memory Modules 346         Registered Modules 351         SDR DIMM Details 352         DDR DIMM Details 353         DDR2 DIMM Details 353         DDR3 DIMM Details 353     Determining a Memory Module’s Size and Features 354     Memory Banks 356     Memory Module Speed 357     Parity and ECC 357         Parity Checking 359         How Parity Checking Works 359         ECC 360     RAM Upgrades 361         Upgrade Options and Strategies 362         Purchasing Memory 364         Replacing Modules with Higher-Capacity Versions 366         Installing Memory Modules 366     Troubleshooting Memory 368     Memory Defect Isolation Procedures 372     The System Logical Memory Layout 374 7    The ATA/IDE Interface 377     An Overview of the IDE Interface 377         Precursors to IDE 377         IDE Origins 378         Origins of ATA 379     ATA Standards 380         ATA-1 (ATA Interface for Disk Drives) 382         ATA-2 (ATA Interface with Extensions-2) 382         ATA-3 (ATA Interface-3) 383         ATA/ATAPI-4 (ATA with Packet Interface Extension-4) 383         ATA/ATAPI-5 (ATA with Packet Interface-5) 384         ATA/ATAPI-6 (ATA with Packet Interface-6) 385         ATA/ATAPI-7 (ATA with Packet Interface-7) 386         ATA/ATAPI-8 386     PATA 387         PATA I/O Connector 387         PATA I/O Cable 390         Longer or Rounded Cables 392         PATA Signals 392         PATA Dual-Drive Configurations 393         PATA PIO Transfer Modes 396         PATA DMA Transfer Modes 396     SATA 398         SATA Standards and Performance 398         SATA Express 399         SATA Cables and Connectors 401         eSATA 404         SATA Configuration 407         Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) 408         Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) 409         SATA Transfer Modes 409     ATA Features 410         ATA Commands 410         ATA Security Mode 411         Host Protected Area 412         ATAPI 413     ATA Drive Capacity Limitations 413         Prefixes for Decimal and Binary Multiples 414         BIOS Limitations 415         CHS Versus LBA 416         CHS/LBA and LBA/CHS Conversions 417         BIOS Commands Versus ATA Commands 418         CHS Limitations (the 528MB Barrier) 419         CHS Translation (Breaking the 528MB Barrier) 421         The 2.1GB and 4.2GB Barriers 423         LBA-Assist Translation 425         The 8.4GB Barrier 427         The 137GB Barrier and Beyond 429         Operating System and Other Software Limitations 430     GPT and the 2.2TB Barrier 432     PATA/SATA RAID 434 Software RAID 436 8    Magnetic Storage Principles 439     Magnetic Storage 439     History of Magnetic Storage 439     How Magnetic Fields Are Used to Store Data 440     Read/Write Head Designs 443         Ferrite 444         Metal-In-Gap 444         Thin-Film 444         Magneto-Resistive Heads 445         Giant Magneto-Resistive Heads 446     Head Sliders 448     Data-Encoding Schemes 450         Frequency Modulation Encoding 451         Modified FM Encoding 451         Run Length Limited Encoding 452         Encoding Scheme Comparisons 453         Partial-Response, Maximum-Likelihood Decoders 455     Capacity Measurements 455     Areal Density 456 Perpendicular Magnetic Recording 458 9    Hard Disk Storage 461     Definition of a Hard Disk 461     Hard Drive Advancements 462     Form Factors 463         5 1/4-Inch Drive 464         3 1/2-Inch Drive 465         2 1/2-Inch Drive 465         1.8-Inch Drive 466         1-Inch Drives 466     HDD Operation 466         The Ultimate HDD Analogy 469         Tracks and Sectors 470         ECC 472         Disk Formatting 477     Basic HDD Components 482         Hard Disk Platters (Disks) 483         Recording Media 484         Read/Write Heads 485         Head Actuator Mechanisms 487         Air Filters 494         Hard Disk Temperature Acclimation 495         Spindle Motors 495         Logic Boards 496         Cables and Connectors 497         Configuration Items 497     Hard Disk Features 498         Capacity 498         Performance 500         Reliability 504 10    Flash and Removable Storage 507     Alternative Storage Devices 507     Flash Memory Devices 507         CompactFlash 509         SmartMedia 509         MultiMediaCard 510         SecureDigital 510         Sony Memory Stick 510         ATA Flash PC Card 511         xD-Picture Card 511         SSD (Solid-State Drive) 511         USB Flash Drives 516         Comparing Flash Memory Devices 517         SD Cards Speed Class and UHS Speed Class Markings 519         File Systems Used by Flash Memory 520         Flash Card Readers 520         Card Readers 520         ReadyBoost Support 521     Cloud-Based Storage 522     Floppy Disk Drives 523     Tape Drives 523 11    Optical Storage 525     Optical Technology 525     CD-Based Optical Technology 526         CDs: A Brief History 526         CD Construction and Technology 527         Mass-Producing CDs 527         Writable CDs 539         MultiRead Specifications 545         MultiPlay and MultiAudio 547     DVD 547         DVD History 548         DVD Construction and Technology 549         DVD Tracks and Sectors 550         Handling DVD Errors 554         DVD Capacity (Sides and Layers) 555         Data Encoding on the DVD Disc 558         Recordable DVD Standards 559         Multiformat Rewritable DVD Drives 566     BD 567     HD-DVD 569     Optical Disc Formats 570         CD Formats 570         DVD Formats and Standards 578         Optical Disc File Systems 582     Ripping/Copying Discs 587         “For Music Use Only” CD-R/RW Discs 588         CD Copy Protection 588         CD Digital Rights Management 589         DVD and Blu-ray Copy Protection 589     Optical Drive Performance Specifications 593         CD Data Transfer Rate 593         CD Drive Speed 593         DVD Drive Speed 595         Access Time 598         Buffer/Cache 598         Direct Memory Access and Ultra-DMA 598         Interface 598         Loading Mechanism 599         Other Drive Features 600     How to Reliably Record Optical Discs 600         Booting from a Floppy Disk with Optical Drive Support 601         Bootable Optical Discs—El Torito 601         LightScribe and LabelFlash 602     Troubleshooting Optical Drives 602         Caring for Optical Media 606         Updating the Firmware in an Optical Drive 607 12    Video Hardware 609     Display Adapters and Monitors 609     Video Display Adapters 610         Video Adapter Types 610         Integrated Video/Motherboard Chipsets 611         CPUs with Integrated Video 616         Video Adapter Components 617         Identifying the Video and System Chipsets 619         Video RAM 620         The DAC 624     Video Display Interfaces 624         The System Interface 624         The Display Interface 626         TV Display Interfaces 641     3D Graphics Accelerators 642         How 3D Accelerators Work 642         APIs 645         Dual-GPU Scene Rendering 648     Monitors 650         Display Specifications 650         LCD Technology 661         LED Backlit Technology 663         CRT Display Technology 663         Plasma Display Technology 665         LCD and DLP Projectors 666     Using Multiple Monitors 667         Dualview 667         Homogeneous Adapters 668         Heterogeneous Adapters 668     Choosing the Best Display Hardware for a Particular Task 668     Video Troubleshooting and Maintenance 669         Troubleshooting Video Cards and Drivers 670         Video Drivers 672         Maintaining Monitors 672         Testing Monitors 673         Adjusting Monitors 674         Bad Pixels 675         Troubleshooting Monitors 676         Repairing Monitors 677 13    Audio Hardware 679     Audio Hardware Concepts and Terms 680         The Nature of Sound 680         Evaluating the Quality of Your Audio Hardware 680         Sampling 681     Early PC Sound Cards 682         Limitations of Sound Blaster Pro Compatibility 682         Microsoft Windows and Audio Support 682         DirectX and Audio Support Hardware 683         Core Audio APIs for Windows 683         3D Gaming Audio Standards 684         Legacy Audio Support Through Virtualization 685     Audio Hardware Features 686         Basic Connectors 686         Audio Signal Processing Methods 688         Advanced Audio Features 688         Volume Control 690         MIDI Support Features 691         Data Compression 692         Sound Drivers 693         Sound Cards for Sound Producers 693     Motherboard Chipsets with Integrated Audio 694         Intel “Azalia” HD Audio 694     Troubleshooting PC Audio Problems 694         Sound Card and Onboard Audio Problems 695     Speakers 698         Speaker Selection Criteria 698         Theater and Surround Sound Considerations 699     Microphones 700 14    External I/O Interfaces 703     Introduction to Input/Output Ports 703         Serial Versus Parallel 703         Universal Serial Bus (USB) 704         IEEE 1394 (FireWire or i.LINK) 718         Comparing USB and IEEE 1394 (FireWire) 722     Thunderbolt Technology 728     Low-Speed External Connections 729         Serial Ports 730         Parallel Ports 734 15    Input Devices  739     Keyboards 739         Enhanced 101-Key Keyboard 739         103/104-Key Windows Keyboard 740     Keyboard Technology 742         Keyswitch Design 742         The Keyboard Interface 747         Typematic Functions 749         Keyboard Scan Codes 749         International Keyboard Layouts 750         Keyboard/Mouse Interface Connectors 751         USB Keyboards 753         Keyboards with Special Features 754     Keyboard Troubleshooting and Repair 754         Cleaning a Keyboard 755     Keyboard Recommendations 756     Pointing Devices 757         Mouse Sensitivity 758         Ball-Type Mice 758         Optical Mice 759         Pointing Device Interface Types 760         Scroll Wheels 762         Mouse Troubleshooting 764         Cleaning Your Mouse 765         Alternative Pointing Devices 765     Touchscreen Technology 770     Wireless Input Devices 771         Power Management Features of Wireless Input Devices 772         Troubleshooting Wireless Input Devices 773 16    Internet Connectivity 775     Internet Connectivity Trends 775     Broadband Internet Access Types 775         Cable TV 776         Digital Subscriber Line 779         Wireless Broadband 783         Cellular Broadband 3G and 4G Services 783         Satellite Broadband 784         ISDN 787         Leased Lines 788         Comparing High-Speed Internet Access 789     Dial-Up Modems 790         56Kbps Modems 791     Internet Connection Security 794         Having a Backup Plan in Case of Service Interruptions 795         Sharing Your Internet Connection 795         Routers for Internet Sharing 796         Modem/Router Status LEDs 797 17    Local Area Networking 799     Defining a Network 799         Types of Networks 800         Requirements for a Network 801     Client/Server Versus Peer Networks 801         Client/Server Networks 802         Peer-to-Peer Networks 803         Comparing Client/Server and Peer-to-Peer Networks 804     Network Architecture Overview 804         Wired Ethernet 806         Wireless Ethernet 807         Bluetooth 813     Hardware Elements of Your Network 814         NICs for Wired Ethernet Networks 814         Network Cables for Wired Ethernet 816         Wired Network Topologies 824         Switches for Ethernet Networks 827         Wireless Ethernet Hardware 831     Network Protocols 836         IP and TCP/IP 836         IPX and NetBEUI 837     Other Home Networking Solutions 838         HomePNA 838         Power Line Networking 839     Putting Your Network Together 840         Network Adapters 840         Cables and Connections Between Computers 842         Switch/Access Point 842 18    Power Supplies 845     The Power Supply 845     Primary Function and Operation 845         Voltage Rails 846         The Power Good Signal 848     Power Supply Form Factors 849         Modern Form Factors 852     Power Switches 866         ATX and Newer 866         PC/XT/AT and LPX Power Switches 868     Motherboard Power Connectors 870         AT/LPX Power Supply Connectors 870         ATX and ATX12V Motherboard Power Connectors 872         Backward and Forward Compatibility 885         Dell Proprietary (Nonstandard) ATX Design 887     Additional Power Connectors 887         Peripheral Power Connectors 887         Floppy Power Connectors 888         Serial ATA Power Connectors 889         PCI Express Auxiliary Graphics Power Connectors 890     Power Supply Specifications 893         Power Supply Loading 893         Power Supply Ratings 895         Other Power Supply Specifications 896         Power Factor Correction 898         SLI-Ready and CrossFireX Certifications 900         Safety Certifications 900     Power-Use Calculations 901     Power Savings 903         80 Plus 903         ENERGY STAR 904         Advanced Power Management 904         Advanced Configuration and Power Interface 905     Power Cycling 908     Power Supply Troubleshooting 911         Overloaded Power Supplies 912         Inadequate Cooling 913         Using Digital Multimeters 913         Specialized Test Equipment 916     Power Supply Recommendations 918         Modular Cables 919         Sources for Replacement Power Supplies 919     Power-Protection Systems 919         Surge Suppressors (Protectors) 921         Network and Phone Line Surge Protectors 922         Line Conditioners 922         Backup Power 922     Real-Time Clock/Nonvolatile RAM (CMOS RAM) Batteries 925         Modern CMOS Batteries 925         Obsolete or Unique CMOS Batteries 927         CMOS Battery Troubleshooting 928 19    Building or Upgrading Systems 929     System Components 929         Before You Start: How to Decide What to Build 931         Case and Power Supply 933         Processor 934         Motherboard 935         Memory 936         I/O Ports 937         Hard Disk/Solid-State Drives 938         Removable Storage 939         Input Devices 939         Video Card and Display 940         Audio Hardware 940         Accessories 941     Hardware and Software Resources 942     System Assembly and Disassembly 942         Assembly Preparation 943         Installing the CPU and Heatsink 946         Installing Memory Modules 952         Mounting the New Motherboard in the Case 953         Preparing a Modular Power Supply 958         Connecting the Power Supply 958         Connecting I/O and Other Cables to the Motherboard 961         Installing the Drives 962         Installing a Video Card 967         Installing Additional Expansion Cards 969         Replacing the Cover and Connecting External Cables 969 System Startup 969     Installing the OS 971     Troubleshooting New Installations 972 20    PC Diagnostics, Testing, and Maintenance 975     PC Diagnostics 975     Diagnostics Software 975         The POST 976         Peripheral Diagnostics 989         Operating System Diagnostics 989         Commercial Diagnostics Software 990         Free/User Supported Diagnostics 991     The Boot Process 991         The Hardware Boot Process: Operating System Independent 992         The DOS Boot Process 996         The Windows 9x/Me Boot Process 997         Windows 2000/XP Startup 997         Windows Vista/7 Startup 998         Windows 8 Startup 998     PC Maintenance Tools 999         Hand Tools 1000         Safety 1003         Test Equipment 1004         Special Tools for the Enthusiast 1009     Preventive Maintenance 1011         Active Preventive Maintenance Procedures 1011         Passive Preventive Maintenance Procedures 1016     Troubleshooting Tips and Techniques 1021         Repair or Replace? 1021         Basic Troubleshooting Steps 1021         Troubleshooting by Replacing Parts 1022         Troubleshooting by the Bootstrap Approach 1023         Problems During the POST 1024         Problems Running Software 1024         Problems with Adapter Cards 1025         Top Troubleshooting Problems 1025 9780789750006, ToC, 2/18/2013  

About the Author :
Scott Mueller is the president of Mueller Technical Research (MTR), an international research and corporate training firm. Since 1982, MTR has produced the industry’s most in-depth, accurate, and effective seminars, books, articles, videos, and FAQs covering PC hardware and data recovery. MTR maintains a client list that includes Fortune 500 companies, the U.S. and foreign governments, major software and hardware corporations, as well as PC enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. Scott’s seminars have been presented to several thousands of PC support professionals throughout the world.   Scott personally teaches seminars nationwide covering all aspects of PC hardware (including troubleshooting, maintenance, repair, and upgrade), A+ Certification, and data recovery/forensics. He has a knack for making technical topics not only understandable, but entertaining; his classes are never boring! If you have ten or more people to train, Scott can design and present a custom seminar for your organization.   Although he has taught classes virtually nonstop since 1982, Scott is best known as the author of the longest-running, most popular, and most comprehensive PC hardware book in the world, Upgrading and Repairing PCs, which has become the core of an entire series of books, including Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Upgrading and Repairing Laptops, and Upgrading and Repairing Windows.   Scott’s premiere work, Upgrading and Repairing PCs, has sold more than two million copies, making it by far the most popular and longest-running PC hardware book on the market today. Scott has been featured in Forbes magazine and has written several articles for PC World magazine, Maximum PC magazine, the Scott Mueller Forum, various computer and automotive newsletters, and the Upgrading and Repairing PCs website.   Contact MTR directly if you have a unique book, article, or video project in mind or if you want Scott to conduct a custom PC troubleshooting, repair, maintenance, upgrade, or data-recovery seminar tailored for your organization:   Mueller Technical Research Web: www.muellertech.com Email: info@muellertech.com Forum: www.forum.scottmueller.com   Scott has a forum exclusively for his readers at www.forum.scottmueller.com. Anybody can view the forum, but posting is only available to registered members.   If you have suggestions or comments about the book or new book or article topics you would like to see covered, send them to info@muellertech.com.