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to repair it.
Upgrading & Repairing PCs Eighth Edition
Introduction
* What Are the Main Objectives of This Book?
* Who Should Use This Book?
* What Is in This Book?
* Dedication
o Biography
o Acknowledgments
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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
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.

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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