Welcome to Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 8th Edition.
This book is for people who want to upgrade, repair, maintain,
and troubleshoot computers. It covers the full range of
PC-compatible systems from the oldest 8-bit machines to the
latest in high-end 64-bit workstations.
In addition, this book covers state-of-the-art hardware and
accessories that make the most modern personal computers
easier, faster, and more productive to use. Hardware coverage
includes all of the Intel and Intel-compatible processors
through the Pentium, Pentium Pro, and new Pentium II CPU
chips; new cache and main memory technology; PCI local bus
technology; CD-ROM drives; tape backups; sound boards; PC-Card
and Cardbus devices for laptops; IDE and SCSI-interface
devices; larger and faster hard drives; and new video adapter
and display capabilities.
The comprehensive coverage of the PC-compatible personal
computer in this book has consistently won acclaim since
debuting as the first book of its kind on the market in 1988.
Now with the release of this eighth edition, Upgrading and
Repairing PCs continues its place as not only the best
selling book of its type, but also the most comprehensive and
easily used reference on even the most modern systems--those
based on cutting-edge hardware and software. The book examines
PCs in-depth, outlines the differences among them, and
presents options for configuring each system at the time you
purchase it.
Sections of this book provide detailed information about
each internal component of a personal computer system, from
the processor to the keyboard and video display. The book
examines the options available in modern, high-performance PC
configurations, and how to use them to your advantage; it
focuses on much of the hardware and software available today
and specifies the optimum configurations for achieving maximum
benefit for the time and money you spend. At a glance, here
are the major system components and peripherals covered in
this edition of Upgrading and Repairing PCs:
- Pentium II, Pentium Pro, Pentium, 486, and earlier
central processing unit (CPU) chips.
- The latest processor upgrade socket and slot
specifications.
- New motherboard chipsets and designs, including the ATX
form factor.
- Special bus architectures and devices, including
high-speed PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) and
VL-Bus (VESA Local), EISA (Extended Industry Standard
Architecture), and MCA (Micro Channel Architecture).
- Bus resources which often conflict such as Interrupt
ReQuest (IRQ) lines, Direct Memory Access (DMA) channels,
and Input Output (I/O) port addresses.
- Plug and Play architecture.
- Larger, faster hard drives and hard drive interfaces,
including EIDE and SCSI.
- Floppy drives, including 360K, 1.2M, 1.44M, and 2.88M
drives.
- New storage devices such as DVD, CD-ROM, and
Magneto-Optical drives.
- Increasing system memory capacity with SIMM and DIMM
modules.
- New types of memory including Synchronous Pipeline Burst
cache, EDO RAM, Burst EDO, and Synchronous DRAM.
- Large-screen Super VGA monitors and high-speed graphics
adapter cards.
- Peripheral devices such as CD-ROM drives, sound boards,
and tape backups.
- PC-Card and Cardbus devices for laptops.
This book also shows you how to troubleshoot the kind of
hardware problems that can make PC upgrading and repairing
difficult. Troubleshooting coverage includes IRQ, DMA channel,
and I/O Port addressees, as well as memory address conflicts.
This book tells you how to avoid problems with these system
resources, and how to make installing a new adapter board in
your computer a simple plug-and-play operation. This book also
focuses on software problems, starting with the basics of how
DOS or another operating system works with your hardware to
start up your system. You also learn how to troubleshoot and
avoid problems involving system hardware, the operating
system, and applications software such as word processors or
spreadsheets.
This book is the result of years of research and
development in the production of my PC hardware, operating
system, and data recovery seminars. Since 1982, I have
personally taught (and still teach) thousands of people about
PC troubleshooting, upgrading, maintenance, repair, and data
recovery. This book represents the culmination of many years
of field experience as well as knowledge culled from the
experiences of thousands of others. What originally started
out as a simple course workbook has grown over the years into
a complete reference on the subject. Now you can benefit from
this experience and research.
What Are the Main Objectives of This
Book?
Upgrading and Repairing PCs focuses on several
objectives. The primary objective is to help you learn how to
maintain, upgrade, and repair your PC system. To that end,
Upgrading and Repairing PCs helps you fully understand
the family of computers that has grown from the original IBM
PC, including all PC-compatible systems. This book discusses
all areas of system improvement such as floppy disks, hard
disks, central processing units, math coprocessors, and
power-supply improvements. The book discusses proper system
and component care; it specifies the most failure-prone items
in different PC systems, and tells you how to locate and
identify a failing component. You'll learn about powerful
diagnostics hardware and software that enable a system to help
you determine the cause of a problem and how to repair it.
The PC-compatible microcomputer family is rapidly moving
forward in power and capabilities. Processor performance
increases with every new chip design. Upgrading and
Repairing PCs helps you gain an understanding of each of
the CPU chips used in PC-compatible computer systems.
This book covers the important differences between major
system architectures--the original Industry Standard
Architecture (ISA), Extended Industry Standard Architecture
(EISA), and Micro Channel Architecture (MCA). The most modern
systems use special local bus architectures and adapter cards
to get top speed from system peripherals such as video adapter
cards and hard drives. Besides ISA, EISA, and MCA, these local
bus architectures include PCI (Peripheral Component
Interconnect) and VL-Bus devices. Upgrading and Repairing
PCs covers each of these system architectures and their
adapter boards to help you make decisions about which kind of
system you may want to buy in the future, and how to upgrade
and troubleshoot such systems.
The amount of storage space available to modern PCs is
increasing geometrically. Upgrading and Repairing PCs
covers storage options ranging from larger, faster hard
drives to state-of-the-art storage devices. In addition, this
book provides detailed information on upgrading and
troubleshooting the system's RAM.
When you finish reading this book, you should have the
knowledge to upgrade as well as troubleshoot and repair almost
all systems and components.
Who Should Use This Book?
Upgrading and Repairing PCs is designed for people
who want a thorough understanding of how their PC systems
work. Each section fully explains common and not-so common
problems, what causes problems, and how to handle problems
when they arise. You will gain an understanding of disk
configuration and interfacing, for example, that can improve
your diagnostic and troubleshooting skills. You'll develop a
feel for what goes on in a system so that you can rely on your
own judgment and observations and not some table of canned
troubleshooting steps. This book is for people who are truly
interested in their systems and how they operate.
Upgrading and Repairing PCs is written for people
who select, install, configure, maintain, and repair systems
they or their companies use. To accomplish these tasks, you
need a level of knowledge much higher than that of an average
system user. You must know exactly which tool to use for a
task and how to use the tool correctly. This book can help you
achieve this level of knowledge.
What Is in This Book?
Part I of this book serves primarily as an introduction.
Chapter 1 begins with an introduction to the development of
the original IBM PC and PC-compatibles. Chapter 2 provides
information about the different types of systems you encounter
and what separates one type of system from another, including
the types of system buses that differentiate systems. Chapter
2 also provides an overview of the types of PC systems that
help build a foundation of knowledge essential for the
remainder of the book. Chapter 3 discusses the physical
disassembly and reassembly of a system.
Part II covers the primary system components of a PC.
Chapter 4 begins this part with a discussion of the components
in a PC system by covering the motherboard. Chapter 5
continues this discussion by focusing on the different types
of expansion slots and bus types found in PC systems. Chapter
6 goes into detail about the central processing unit (CPU), or
main processor, including those from Intel as well as other
companies. Chapter 7 gives a detailed discussion of PC memory,
from basic architecture to the physical chips and SIMMs
themselves. Chapter 8 is a detailed investigation of the power
supply, which remains as the primary cause for PC system
problems and failures.
Part III is about input/output hardware and begins with
Chapter 9 on input devices. This chapter includes coverage of
keyboards, pointing devices, and the game port. Chapter 10
discusses video display hardware, including video adapters and
monitors. Chapter 11 is a detailed discussion of
communications and networking hardware, while Chapter 12
focuses on audio hardware, including sound boards and speaker
systems.
Part IV is about mass storage systems and leads off with
Chapter 13 on floppy disk drives and controllers. Chapter 14
is a detailed discussion of hard disk drives and drive
technology. Chapter 15 covers hard disk interfaces, including
IDE and SCSI, in-depth. Chapter 16 details the installation
requirements and procedures for a hard disk. This information
is invaluable when you install drives as either replacements
or upgrades in a system, and if you troubleshoot and repair
malfunctioning drives. Chapter 17 is about CD-ROM drives, and
Chapter 18 covers tape and other mass storage drives.
Part V covers system assembly and maintenance and starts
off with Chapter 19 on buying or building a PC-compatible
system as well as system upgrades and improvements. This
information is especially useful if you make purchasing
decisions and also serves as a general guideline for features
that make a certain compatible computer a good or bad choice.
The more adventurous can use this information to assemble
their own custom system from scratch. Chapter 20 covers
portable systems including laptop and notebook systems. It
also focuses on all of the technology unique and peculiar to
portable systems such as display, battery, and other
technologies.
Part VI covers troubleshooting and diagnostics and starts
off with Chapter 21 on diagnostic tools. Chapter 22 covers
operating system software and troubleshooting, as well as data
recovery. Chapter 23 covers in considerable depth the original
classic IBM PC, XT, and AT computers. All modern compatibles
are based on these systems, so this information can serve as a
useful reference. This information is useful not only for
supporting actual IBM equipment, but also for PC-compatible
systems not supplied with extensive documentation. You learn
how to compare systems with the original IBM standard, and see
how far we have come since these original cornerstone systems
were introduced.
Chapter 24 gives your experience closure by tying all the
technologies together and providing suggestions on additional
places to find information.
Appendix A provides an extremely well-detailed vendor list
useful for finding suppliers and vendors for necessary
hardware and software. Appendix B provides an informative
glossary.
I believe that Upgrading and Repairing PCs will
prove to be the best book of its kind on the market. It offers
not only the breadth of PC-compatible equipment, but also much
in-depth coverage of each topic. This book is valuable as a
reference tool for understanding how various components in a
system interact and operate, and as a guide to repairing and
servicing problems you encounter. Upgrading and Repairing
PCs is far more than just a repair manual; I sincerely
hope that you also enjoy it.
Dedication
To my family:
Lynn, Amanda and Emerson
Yet another edition completed, just in time to begin
writing the next one. This book has become a full-time
job!
Biography
Scott Mueller is president of Mueller Technical Research,
an international personal computer research and corporate
training firm. Since 1982, MTR has specialized in the
industry's longest running, most in-depth, accurate, and
effective corporate technical training seminars, maintaining 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. His seminars have
been presented to thousands of PC professionals throughout the
world.
Scott Mueller has developed and presented personal computer
training courses in all areas of PC hardware and software. He
is an expert in PC hardware, operating systems, data-recovery
techniques, and local area networks. MTR seminars are
available on an on-site contract basis or publicly through the
American Research Group (ARG). For more information about a
custom computer training seminar for your organization,
contact:
Mueller Technical Research
21718 Mayfield Lane
Barrington, IL 60010-9733
(847) 726-0709
(847) 726-0710 Fax
Internet: 73145.1566@compuserve.com
For more information about attending a public seminar,
contact:
American Research Group
114 Edinburgh South, Suite 200
Cary, NC 27512
(919) 461-8600
(919) 461-8846 Fax
http://www.arg.com
email: questions@arg.com
Scott has many popular books, articles, and course
materials to his credit, including Upgrading and Repairing
PCs, which has sold more than 1 million copies, making it
by far the most popular PC hardware book on the market today.
His 2-hour video, titled "Your PC-The Inside Story," is
available through LearnKey, Inc. For ordering information,
contact:
LearnKey, Inc.
1845 West Sunset Boulevard
St. George, UT 84770
(800) 937-3279
(801) 674-9733
(801) 674-9734 Fax
If you have questions about PC hardware, suggestions for
the next version of the book, or any comments in general, send
them to Scott via email. Correspondence through standard mail
takes him much longer to answer!
When he is not working on PC related books or teaching
seminars, Scott can usually be found in the garage working on
his LT4 powered '94 Impala SS, LT4 powered '95 Caprice 9C1
(police package), or Buick Turbo V6 powered '89 Trans Am, as
well as various other performance car related projects. He can
also be found testing the vehicles at the local drag strip, or
showing them off at car shows or the local cruise/drive-in
scene.
Acknowledgments
This 8th edition is the product of a great deal of
additional research and development over the previous
editions. Several people have helped me with both the research
and production of this book. I would like to thank the
following people:
First, a very special thanks to my Wife and partner, Lynn.
This book continues to be an incredible burden on both our
business and family life, and she has put up with a lot! Lynn
is excellent at dealing with the many companies we have to
contact for product information and research. She is the
backbone of MTR.
Thanks to Lisa Carlson of Mueller Technical Research for
helping with product research and office management. She has
fantastic organizational skills that have been a tremendous
help in managing all of the information that comes into and
goes out of this office. Thanks to John Rourke, who not only
teaches many of the MTR seminars, and who also is the designer
and creator of the Discovery card, which is the first card on
the market for troubleshooting IRQ and DMA conflicts.
Thanks to all of the companies who have provided hardware,
software, and research information that has been helpful in
developing this book. Thanks to David Means for feedback from
the trenches about various products and especially data
recovery information.
I would like to offer a special thanks to the people at Que
that have made this book possible. Thanks also to all of the
editors and staff who work so hard to get these books out!
Thanks to all of the readers who have emailed me with
suggestions concerning this book; I welcome all of your
comments. A special thanks to Paul Reid, who always has many
suggestions to offer for improving the book and making it more
accurate.
Finally, I would like to thank the more than ten thousand
people who have attended my Seminars; you may not realize how
much I learn from each of you and your questions! Thanks also
to those of you on the Internet and CompuServe forums with
both questions and answers, from which I have also learned a
great deal.
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