Ed Bott and Carl Siechert have combined their considerable talents for producing user-level documentation in creating Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out. One of the most carefully researched books on Windows XP to date, this large volume has all the information and procedures most everyday users of the operating system will want. With its nicely formatted how-to instructions, detailed documentation of command-line commands, intelligent explanatory text, and broad scope, this book makes a great reference for a family or business that uses Windows XP extensively. Even the illustrations are more helpful than usual, largely because the publisher has gone to the trouble of annotating many of them with pointers and labels.

Bott and Siechert deal with the most controversial features of Windows XP, notably product activation, in a straightforward way. They simply explain what activation is for, tell how to go about it, and move on. If you're a power user interested in getting around activation and performing other unsanctioned hacks, look for your information in online newsletters. This book plays by Microsoft's rules, and that's fine. It's obvious that the authors have had access to Windows XP for some time, and spent a lot of time exploring its new features. Count on this book to explain the complete set of Windows XP's features--even the exciting networking stuff--in terms you can easily follow. --David Wall

Topics covered: Microsoft Windows XP (Professional and Home editions) for home and office users who want to install, use, and run applications. Emphasis is on basic set-up and configuration, hardware installation and modification, file management, multimedia, and networking.


From Book News, Inc.
This book/CD-ROM reference, revised for Windows XP Service Pack 2 and other recent updates, offers timesaving solutions, troubleshooting tips, and workarounds for getting the most out of Windows XP. Coverage encompasses setup and startup, security, customizing Windows, storage and file management, digital media, networking, using e-mail, fax, and messaging capabilities, and system maintenance and recovery. The CD- ROM contains sample batch and script files, Windows XP downloads, articles by the author, and links to tips sites. Bott has been working with and writing about Windows for 15 years.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Can you believe Windows XP￯﾿ﾽs already more than three years old? Those years have seen thousands of bug fixes, the Windows security crisis and Microsoft￯﾿ﾽs response, two major updates to Windows Media Player, extensive improvements to wireless networking, and many other changes. Meanwhile, a community of 210,000,000 Windows XP users have been churning out tips and discoveries like mad. The massive Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out, Second Edition reflects all that￯﾿ﾽs happened to Windows XP since ￯﾿ﾽ01. It￯﾿ﾽs as close to definitive as a Windows XP book can be.

Nearly every corner of Windows is covered in exhaustive detail: setup, startup, customization, storage, file management, digital media, email, IM, networking, system maintenance, performance tuning, troubleshooting and recovery, and much more. There￯﾿ﾽs a 160-page section on security, including the new Windows Firewall and its alternatives, automatic updates, passwords, Internet security, even advanced tools like Microsoft￯﾿ﾽs Baseline Security Analyzer.

You￯﾿ﾽll find sophisticated tips and troubleshooting help everywhere: from backing up your Outlook Express account information to faxing multiple photos at once, relocating your My Pictures folder to creating new Favorites with a keyboard shortcut (it￯﾿ﾽs Ctrl+D). There￯﾿ﾽs even a plain-English explanation of WinXP￯﾿ﾽs top 20 STOP errors.

The CD-ROM that comes with this book is actually worth loading. You￯﾿ﾽll find the new Microsoft Picture-It Express 10 software, Microsoft Plus! Photo Story 2 LE, the Microsoft Windows Media Bonus Pack, the latest PowerToys, and plenty of bonus information and scripts for power users. The whole 1,300 page-book￯﾿ﾽs here, too. Whether you read it in print or PDF, it￯﾿ﾽs outstanding. Bill Camarda, from the December 2004 Read Only

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Packed with Deluxe Edition resources and tools, this supremely organized, one-volume reference can help advanced users and system professionals achieve new levels of Windows XP mastery-from the inside out! This thoroughly updated second edition delivers more depth and detail on core and advanced Windows XP topics, along with all-new information on Windows XP Service Pack 2, Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition, Microsoft Windows Server￯﾿ﾽ 2003, security auditing, corporate network interoperability, Microsoft Windows Media￯﾿ﾽ Series 9, Windows Movie Maker 2, and more. The award-winning INSIDE OUT format makes it easy to find the timesaving solutions, troubleshooting tips, and workarounds you need to get the job done. Plus new Reality Check sidebars offer the straight scoop on popular "wisdom" for Windows XP. You also get a Deluxe Edition CD-ROM packed with an eBook of the entire text; Windows Media Bonus Pack, including Windows XP Power Toys; bonus content on Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition; the Windows XP Expert Zone Bookshelf; and eBook versions of Microsoft's latest computer dictionary, networking encyclopedia, security encyclopedia, and guide to Microsoft Office OneNote￯﾿ﾽ.

SYNOPSIS

Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out is the foremost reference to Windows XP for PC "super users". The book provides the information advanced user really need with no beginner content included. Inside Out is designed to help useres build on what they already know about Windows and quickly dive into what's new. Packed with hundreds of timesaving tips, troubleshooting techniques, and workarounds, this book focuses on doing more and getting more from your PC￯﾿ﾽincluding how to put the rich integration of devices, applications, and Web services in Windows XP to work. Also included is a CD-ROM that holds an electronic version of the book's text, handy Web links, sample macros and code, tutorials, utilities, and additional third party software.

AUTHOR DESCRIPTION

Ed Bott is an award-winning computer journalist and one of the most widely recognized voices in the computing world, with nearly two decades of experience as a writer and editor at leading magazines like PC World and PC Computing. Currently, he is Senior Contributing Editor for Smart Business (formerly PC Computing), a 1999 National Magazine Award winner with a monthly circulation of more than 1 million. He is the author of a long list of Que books Windows and Microsoft Office, including Special Edition Using Microsoft Office 2000, Using Windows NT® Workstation 4, Special Edition Using Windows 98, Platinum Edition Using Windows 98 (coauthored with Ron Person), and two editions of Using Windows 95.