Mastering Windows XP Professional (Mastering)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 928 pages
• Published by: Sybex
• Edition: 3rd Edition November 19, 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0782143822
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0782143829
• Book Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.6 x 2.1 inches
• Weighs: 3.4 pounds

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Mastering Windows XP Professional (Paperback) I bought this book "Mastering Windows XP Professional" and also "Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out". I recommend "Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out". If you've never used a prior version of Windows, and are just looking for a book to get you started with XP, you will probably be happy with this book. Indeed, it may be the better book for beginners. However, I'd still recommend buying Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out instead. BOTH books address most questions you'll have from simple to complex, but "Inside Out", in my opinion, is easier to understand, easier from which to get answers and goes into greater depth in a clearer style on the advanced issues. Even if you're a novice, you may eventually appreciate the greater depth and the extra details that can sometimes make the whole picture fall into place. I ordered both books from Amazon because I wanted to learn how to use "Share-Level Access", available in Windows 95/98/Me, in Windows XP. Specifically, I wanted to assign a "Read-Only" and "Full Access" password to my hard drive on my Windows XP Professional computer and share it with my other Windows 98 and Windows ME computers on my Windows peer-to-peer network. In "Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out" I found the answer in "Chapter 31: Managing Shared Folders and Printers" at the top of page 947 under the heading "A Third Model: Share-Level Access in Windows 95/98/Me". The "answer" is that Share-Level access no longer exists in Windows XP Professional, and unfortunately the "work around" requires setting up appropriate user accounts on the XP computer for the 9X/Me computers that wish to gain access to the XP computer. I was unable to find this answer in "Mastering Windows XP Professional". Also, in researching this question in "Mastering Windows XP Professional", I found the following quote in the chapter "Connecting to Windows XP Peer-to-Peer Networks and Domains" on page 641 under the heading Creating Shares: "WARNING If you are using the NTFS file system on your computer and the other computers are using FAT or FAT32, they will not be able to access a drive on your computer even if it is shared." Since I knew from my own experience that this was clearly wrong, I notified SYBEX, the publishers. To their credit they provide their website address on the back of the book, and on the site they invite you to report errors via an easy to use online form. Imagine my great surprise when I got a speedy e-mail reply (in one day) and soon thereafter got a personal phone call from Sybex management thanking me for bringing the matter to their attention, asking for suggestions for further improvements, and promising a speedy correction, which I believe they will implement. To err is human, but for a company to admit it, correct it, and provide that level of customer service is divine. I'll be keeping both books. Comment | | (Report this)