The Geek Squad Guide to Solving Any Computer Glitch
by Robert Stephens

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Summary of The Geek Squad Guide to Solving Any Computer Glitch

• Your computer screen freezes after hours of work on the proposal due to your boas at 7 A.M.

• You try to save a masterpiece graph, and your computer reports "insufficient memory."

• You need a copy of your résumé for your interview in an hour, and the printer is printing in an alien language.

• Your computer "crashes," and you haven't got a backup.

If you've ever used a personal computer (and who hasn't), you know what these moments are like. Fear and frustration overwhelm you. You call every computer-savvy person you know, hoping that someone will provide the magic solution to save your document, your deadline, your job.

Now, saving the day for thousands of PC and Mac users alike, comes The Geek Squad Guide to Solving Any Computer Glitch. You're not a dummy or an idiot, but you do need help. In plain English and with a humorous flair, The Geek Squad Guide demystifies the most widely used hardware and software, offers quick fixes to common glitches, and provides smart maintenance advice to keep things running smoothly.

THE GEEKS WILL HELP YOU:

• decide what computer to buy

• set up reliable backup procedures

• troubleshoot problems with your computer, printer, modem, and other components

• got the most from your laptop, at home and on the road

• save time and money if you do need professional repair help

• find and install software upgrades yourself

• recover your data in almost any computing crisis

The tips and advice in this book (developed after helping thousands of real customers) include how to diagnose your computer in advance of getting pricey consulting and repair services. The authors help you get to know your computer and all of its component parts so that you'll feel comfortable explaining to a technical expert exactly what's ailing your machine and at the same time save your data--and a chunk of change.

One of the more clever "Action Jackson" tricks the squad advises is to slip a $20 spot (yes, just as you might do with a host at your favorite overcrowded restaurant) to a computer techie. For example, stop by Radio Shack and see if they'll replace your computer battery to combat a clock-battery problem. (The trick: fork out $20 to save $100 in tech-shop repair fees.) Another tip: offer the kid from the computer store $20 to copy your printer software on a disk (when faced with having to reinstall your printer driver and printer software without the software on hand).

For new users, this book is a good introduction--with light humor and hand-holding--to maintaining, diagnosing, and quick-fixing your machines, both Macs and PCs. If you've taken the plunge into a Linux OS, however, you'll find no superhero help here; you may also be annoyed by the computer poetry inserted throughout--although it does serve as a nice break from fiddling with file organization and diagnostic checks. For more heavy-duty technical guidance that's several steps up from basic hardware troubleshooting and maintenance, try Upgrading and Repairing PCs, The Unofficial Guide to PCs, or the MacWorld Mac Upgrade and Repair Bible --Brooke Gilbert

Maintenance, Repair & Upgrading Books

• Subjects > Computers & Technology > Hardware > Maintenance, Repair & Upgrading