Windows XP Cookbook (Cookbooks)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 678 pages
• Published by: O'Reilly Media, Inc. August 8, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0596007256
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0596007256
• Book Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 1.3 inches
• Weighs: 2.2 pounds

Product Description
Each year, Windows XP is pre-installed on thirty million PCs sold in the U.S.--and ninety million worldwide--making it the world's most popular operating system, and proving to frustrated users everywhere that preponderance does not equate to ease of use. There are literally thousands of programs, tools, commands, screens, scripts, buttons, tabs, applets, menus, and settings contained within Windows XP. And it has only been in the last couple of years that Microsoft's documentation has actually been more of a help than a hindrance. But it still isn't enough.

Windows XP users and administrators need a quick and easy way to find answers. Plenty of books go into detail about the theory behind a particular technology or application, but few go straight to the essentials for getting the job done. Windows XP Cookbook does just that, tackling the most common tasks needed to install, manage, and support Windows XP.

Featuring a new twist to O'Reilly's proven cook book formula, this problem-solving guide offers multiple solutions for each of its 300-plus recipes. Solve dilemmas with the graphical user interface, the command line, through the Registry, or by using scripts. Each step-by-step recipe includes a discussion that explains how and why it works. The book is also among the first to cover Microsoft's XP Service Pack 2. With these practical, on-the-job solutions, Windows XP Cookbook will save you hours of time searching for answers.

Windows XP Cookbook will be useful to anyone that has to use, deploy, administer, or automate Windows XP. But this isn't a typical end-user book; it covers the spectrum of topics involved with running Windows XP in both small and large environments. As a result, IT professionals and system administrators will find it a great day-to-day reference. And power users will find Windows XP Cookbook a great source for information on tweaking XP and getting the most out of their systems. The bottom line is that Windows XP Cookbook will make just about anyone who uses XP more productive.

About The Author
Robbie Allen is a Technical Leader at Cisco Systems where he has been involved in the deployment of Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and several Network Management solutions. He enjoys working on Unix and Windows, and his favorite programming language is Perl. Robbie was named a Windows Server MVP in 2004 and 2005 for his contributions to the Windows community and publication of several popular O'Reillybooks. Robbie is currently studying at MIT in the System Design and Management program. For more information, see Robbie's website at www.rallenhome.com.

Reader Reviews
Generally speaking, I don't like to mess with my operating system. I want to use stuff *that runs on* my OS, but I just want the OS to be there and work. But of course, that's an unlikely situation for an IT professional. O'Reilly has released another title in the Cookbook series that I really like... Windows XP Cookbook by Robbie Allen and Preston Gralla. This is the type of book that may not be needed every day, but when you do need it, it's something that must happen NOW. Contents: Introduction; Operating System Installation and Maintenance; Managing Hardware and Devices; Installing, Uninstalling, and Working with Applications; Customizing the Interface; System Properties, Startup, and Shutdown; Disks, Drives, and Volumes; Files, Folders, and Shares; The Registry; Processes, Tasks, and Services; Digital Media; Network Configuration; The Internet; Wireless Networking; User, Group, and Computer Accounts; Event Logs and Log Files; Security and Auditing; Performance Tuning; Backup and Recovery; Crashes and Errors; Summary of Windows XP Versions and Service Packs; Index Windows XP Cookbook follows the traditional format for an O'Reilly Cookbook title. There's the problem, followed by a solution and discussion of the problem. There's also a "see also" paragraph that points you to more information related to the particular issue being discussed. Allen and Gralla have done some nice things with this title that definitely enhance its usefulness to a wider range of readers. First off, they realized that not everyone likes to perform a task the same way. Some want to use the graphical user interface (GUI), some want to show off their command line skills (CLI), and some want to script the whole process so that they can run it automatically. Whenever possible and wherever applicable, the authors provide all three methods for each recipe. All the script examples use VBScript since we *are* dealing with Windows. But in a great concession to the Perl junkies, there's a companion website that has all the VBScript examples done in Perl. What more can you ask for? You even get pointers to third-party software that fills a particular niche better than Windows XP does by itself. I was a little concerned that the book would spend most of its time catering to the sysadmin crowd, leaving us "power users" wishing for more. Nope... There's a very nice mix of admin and desktop recipes, enough that both groups can feel like they've gotten their money's worth even if they don't cross over between the two. Just during my initial review, I finally found how to set the properties on a particular feature that I used in Windows 2000 but that eluded me in Windows XP. That definitely gained my attention and trust in short order... Since I normally don't get to tweak a lot of stuff on my work computer in terms of the operating system (nor do I want to), this book will stay at home within arm's reach of my desktop machine. I have a sneaking suspicion that this book and I are going to become close friends over time...