Table of Contents

Introduction.


1. Development of the PC.
Computer History—Before Personal Computers. Modern Computers. History of the PC.

2. PC Components, Features, and System Design.
What Is a PC? System Types. System Components.

3. Microprocessor Types and Specifications.
Microprocessors. Pre-PC Microprocessor History. Processor Specifications. Processor Features. Processor Manufacturing. Processor Socket and Slot Types. Processor Slots. CPU Operating Voltages. Heat and Cooling Problems. Math Coprocessors (Floating-Point Units). Processor Bugs. Processor Update Feature. Processor Codenames. Intel-Compatible Processors (AMD and Cyrix). P1 (086) First-Generation Processors. P2 (286) Second-Generation Processors. P3 (386) Third-Generation Processors. P4 (486) Fourth-Generation Processors. P5 (586) Fifth-Generation Processors. Intel P6 (686) Sixth-Generation Processors. Other Sixth-Generation Processors. Intel Pentium 4 (Seventh-Generation) Processors. Eighth-Generation (64-bit Register) Processors. Processor Upgrades. Processor Troubleshooting Techniques.

4. Motherboards and Buses.
Motherboard Form Factors. Motherboard Components. Processor Sockets/Slots. Chipsets. Fifth-Generation (P5 Pentium Class) Chipsets. Sixth-Generation (P6 Pentium Pro/II/III Class) and Seventh-Generation (Pentium 4) Chipsets. Athlon/Duron Chipsets. Super I/O Chips. System Bus Types, Functions, and Features. Types of I/O Buses. System Resources. Resolving Resource Conflicts. Motherboard Selection Criteria (Knowing What to Look For).

5. BIOS.
BIOS Basics. BIOS Hardware/Software. Motherboard BIOS. Upgrading the BIOS. CMOS Setting Specifications. Plug and Play BIOS. BIOS Error Messages.

6. Memory.
Memory Basics. RAM Memory Types. Memory Modules. Installing RAM Upgrades. Troubleshooting Memory. The System Logical Memory Layout.

7. The IDE Interface.
An Overview of the IDE Interface. Precursors to IDE. The IDE Interface. ATA IDE. ATA Standards. ATA Features. ATA Upgrades. Serial ATA. ATA RAID.

8. The SCSI Interface.
Small Computer System Interface. ANSI SCSI Standards. SCSI-1. SCSI-2. SCSI-3. SCSI Cables and Connectors. SCSI Cable and Connector Pinouts. SCSI Drive Configuration. Plug and Play SCSI. SCSI Configuration Troubleshooting. SCSI Versus IDE.

9. Magnetic Storage Principles.
Magnetic Storage. History of Magnetic Storage. How Magnetic Fields Are Used to Store Data. Read/Write Head Designs. Head Sliders. Data Encoding Schemes. Encoding Scheme Comparisons. Partial-Response, Maximum-Likelihood Decoders. Capacity Measurements. Areal Density.

10. Hard Disk Storage.
Definition of a Hard Disk. Hard Drive Advancements. Hard Disk Drive Operation. Basic Hard Disk Drive Components. Hard Disk Features.

11. Floppy Disk Storage.
History of the Floppy. Floppy Drive Interfaces. Drive Components. Disk Physical Specifications and Operation. Types of Floppy Disk Drives. Analyzing Floppy Disk Construction. Drive-Installation Procedures. Troubleshooting Floppy Drives.

12. High-Capacity Removable Storage.
The Role of Removable-Media Drives. Comparing Disk, Tape, and Flash Memory Technologies. Interfaces for Removable Media Drives. Overview of Removable Magnetic Storage Devices. Hard-Disk-Size Removable-Media Drives. “Orphan” Removable-Media Drives. Magneto-Optical Drives. Removable Drive Letter Assignments. Comparing Performance of Removable-Media Drives. Flash Card and Digital “Film”. Microdrive Technology. Tape Drives.

13. Optical Storage.
What Is a CD-ROM? Compact Disc and Drive Formats. CD-ROM File Systems. DVD. CD/DVD Drives and Specifications. Writable CDs. Recordable DVD Standards. CD/DVD Software and Drivers. Caring for Optical Media. Troubleshooting Optical Drives.

14. Physical Drive Installation and Configuration.
Installing All Types of Drives. Hard Disk Installation Procedures. Formatting. Replacing an Existing Drive. Hard Disk Drive Troubleshooting and Repair. Installing an Optical Drive. Floppy Drive Installation Procedures.

15. Video Hardware.
Video Display Technologies. Monitor Selection Criteria. Maintaining Your Monitor. Video Display Adapters. 3D Graphics Accelerators. Upgrading or Replacing Your Video Card. Video Cards for Multimedia. Adapter and Display Troubleshooting.

16. Audio Hardware.
Early PC Audio Adapters. PC Multimedia History. Audio Adapter Features. Choosing the Best Audio Adapter for Your Needs. Playing and Creating Digitized Sound Files. Audio Adapter Concepts and Terms. Who's Who in Audio. 3D Audio. Troubleshooting Sound Card Problems. Speakers. Microphones.

17. I/O Interfaces from Serial and Parallel to IEEE-1394 and USB.
Introduction to Input/Output Ports. USB and IEEE-1394 (i.Link or FireWire). Standard Serial and Parallel Ports. Serial Ports. Parallel Ports.

18. Input Devices.
Keyboards. Running Windows Without a Mouse. Keyboard Technology. Keyboard Troubleshooting and Repair. Keyboard Recommendations. Pointing Devices. Input Devices for Gaming. Wireless Input Devices.

19. Internet Connectivity.
Relating Internet and LAN Connectivity. Comparing Broadband and Analog Modem Internet Access. Broadband Internet Access Types. Cable Modems and CATV Networks. Digital Subscriber Line. Fixed-Base Wireless Broadband. Internet Connectivity via Satellite with DirecWAY or StarBand. Integrated Services Digital Network. Comparing High-Speed Internet Access. Leased Lines. Securing Your Internet Connection. Asynchronous (Analog) Modems. Modem Standards. Sharing Your Internet Connection. Internet Troubleshooting.

20. Local Area Networking.
Focus of This Chapter. Defining a Network. Client/Server Versus Peer Networks. Network Protocols: Ethernet Versus Token-Ring. Hardware Elements of Your Network. Network Cable Installations. Wireless Network Standards. Network Protocols. Other Home Networking Solutions. Putting Your Network Together. Tips and Tricks. Direct Cable Connections. Troubleshooting a Network.

21. Power Supply and Chassis/Case.
Considering the Importance of the Power Supply. Primary Function and Operation. Power Supply Form Factors. Motherboard Power Connectors. Peripheral Power Connectors. Power Supply Specifications. Power-Use Calculations. Power Cycling. Power Management. Power Supply Troubleshooting. Repairing the Power Supply. Obtaining Replacement Units. Chassis/Case. Power-Protection Systems. RTC/NVRAM (CMOS RAM) Batteries.

22. Building or Upgrading Systems.
System Components. Case and Power Supply. Motherboard. Floppy Disk and Removable Drives. Hard Disk Drives. Optical Drives. Input Devices. Video Card and Display. Sound Card and Speakers. Accessories. Hardware and Software Resources. System Assembly and Disassembly. Motherboard Installation. Troubleshooting New Installations. Installing the Operating System. Disassembly/Upgrading Preparation.

23. PC Diagnostics, Testing, and Maintenance.
PC Diagnostics. The Hardware Boot Process. PC Maintenance Tools. Preventive Maintenance. Basic Troubleshooting Guidelines.

24. File Systems and Data Recovery.
File Systems. File Allocation Table. Undocumented FDISK. VFAT and Long Filenames. FAT32. FAT File System Errors. FAT File System Utilities. New Technology File System. High Performance File System. Common Drive Error Messages and Solutions. General File System Troubleshooting for MS-DOS, Windows 9x, and Windows Me. General File System Troubleshooting for Windows 2000/XP.

Appendix A. Glossary.


Appendix B. Key Vendor Contact Information.


Appendix C. Troubleshooting Index.


List of Acronyms.


Index.

Promotional Information

Learn from the undisputed leading PC hardware teacher! World-renowned PC hardware expert Scott Mueller has taught thousands in his weeklong seminars and millions through his books, videos, and articles. Often, his students refer to him with nicknames, such as "St. Scott," and claim that his book changed their lives. His book has reached an almost cult status, with many of his readers collecting old editions. The book is found on the desks of students, hobbyists, teachers, repair technicians, and IT professionals around the world. It has been praised in the media, including Maximum PC, the PC hardware industry's leading magazine. It reviewed both the 12th and 13th Editions and dubbed them as the "most comprehensive book on the subject we've ever seen" and would have given the book its coveted "Kick Ass" award if books were eligible for the award.

About the Author

Scott Mueller is president of Mueller Technical Research, an international research and corporate training firm. Since 1982, MTR has specialized in the industry's most in-depth, accurate, and effective corporate PC hardware and 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 several thousands of PC support professionals throughout the world.

Scott has developed and presented training courses in all areas of PC hardware and software. He is an expert in PC hardware, operating systems, and data-recovery techniques. He currently spends about 20-25 weeks per year on the road teaching his seminars at several corporate clients. For more information about a custom PC hardware or data-recovery training seminar for your organization, contact Lynn at

Mueller Technical Research

21 Spring Lane

Barrington Hills, IL 60010-9009

847-854-6794

847-854-6795 Fax

Internet: scottmueller@compuserve.com

Web: http://www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com or http://www.m-tr.com

Scott has many popular books, articles, and course materials to his credit, including Upgrading and Repairing PCs, which has sold more than 2 million copies, making it by far the most popular PC hardware book on the market today.

Scott has recently completed two new works, Upgrading and Repairing Laptops and Upgrading and Repairing PCs Video Training Course, and is hard at work on Upgrading and Repairing Servers, also a new, first-of-its-kind book.

If you have suggestions for the next version of the book, or any comments about the book in general, send them to Scott via email at scottmueller@compuserve.com or visit www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com and click the Ask Scott button.

When he is not working on PC-related books or on the road teaching seminars, Scott can usually be found in the garage working on several projects. This year he is upgrading an '03 Harley FLHRCI Road King Classic, which is slated to receive a 103ci Twin-Cam stroker motor along with numerous other modifications (see you in Sturgis ). His '98 5.9L Grand Cherokee continues to be upgraded, recently receiving a new set of R/T cylinder heads, a single-plane intake manifold, as well as customized E-code (European) lighting front and rear.