Windows XP in a Nutshell

by David A. Karp, Tim O'Reilly, Troy Mott

Windows XP in a Nutshell , Second Edition documents everything there is to know about the world's most widely used operating system. Updated to include information on Service Pack 2 (SP2), this compact guide is the ultimate resource for IT professionals and Windows XP power users everywhere. Written in O'Reilly's time-tested in a Nutshell format, Windows XP in a Nutshell , Second Edition cuts through the hype and delivers practical details in a no-nonsense manner. At the heart of the book is an invaluable 200-plus-page section titled Windows XP Application and Tools. In it, readers will Windows XP in a Nutshell , Second Edition also includes a primer on files, folders, and windows; control panels and built-in applications; how to set up a PC for Internet use; and the standard Windows rituals of troubleshooting, installation, and upgrading. And, of course, this greatly expanded second edition also includes all the need-to-know details about the security technologies featured in SP 2, so you can better defend yourself against viruses, worms, and hackers. Readers even receive guidelines and instructions for installing SP2 on their PC, or across a network of computers. With its wealth of tips, careful instruction, and expert advice, this must-have desktop reference is dedicated to making your time at the computer safer, easier, and more fun.

Genres: Reference, Computers

684 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[G. Branden · Rating 2 out of 5]

As noted in the shelf tag, I abandoned this one.

It did what I needed it to do, which was provide survival tools for someone (me) who hadn't touched a Microsoft OS in 10+ years.

This is not really the sort of book that's intended to be read in a linear fashion, any more than the dictionary is. Nonetheless, some reference works have such engaging content that they can profitably perused in a linear fashion. (The occasional rare soul does that with the Encyclopedia Britannica, for instance.)

This is not one of those books. I don't blame Karp, though. There is a reason O'Reilly has chosen ugly toads as their mascots for their titles on Microsoft operating systems.

I dare not venture whether I would be able to make it straight through Linux in a Nutshell (my OS of preference), either. The latest edition of that title is a real doorstop.

[David]

If only I'd never needed this!