Upgrading and Repairing PCs is Que's all-time leading performer and has been the single largest revenue producer in Pearson Technology Group over the life of the book, selling more than two million units worldwide. World-renowned PC hardware expert Scott Mueller has taught thousands in his weeklong seminars and millions through his books, videos and magazine articles. Major changes in the PC hardware industry - including coverage of new Core 2 processors from Intel, Socket AM2 processors from AMD, significant advances in motherboard chipsets, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, make Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 18th Edition an indispensable addition to every serious computer user's bookshelf - that is if it ever leaves their desks. Readers from around the world email Scott everyday, praising the 17th Edition and getting the scoop on the upcoming 18th Edition. If any hardware author has a cult following, it's Scott Mueller. Upgrading and Repairing PCs is found on the desks of teachers, students, hobbyists, repair technicians and even Interpol agents who use the skills they learn in Scott's book to track international criminals.

Scott Mueller is president of Mueller Technical Research (MTR), an international research and corporate training firm. Since 1982, MTR has produced the industry's most in-depth, accurate, and effective seminars, books, articles, videos, and FAQs covering PC hardware and data recovery. MTR maintains 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 several thousands of PC support professionals throughout the world. Scott personally teaches seminars nationwide covering all aspects of PC hardware (including troubleshooting, maintenance, repair, and upgrade), A+ Certification, and data recovery/forensics. He has a knack for making technical topics not only understandable, but entertaining as well; his classes are never boring! If you have 10 or more people to train, Scott can design and present a custom seminar for your organization. Although he has taught classes virtually nonstop since 1982, Scott is best known as the author of the longest running, most popular, and most comprehensive PC hardware book in the world, Upgrading and Repairing PCs, which has not only been produced in more than 18 editions, but has also become the core of an entire series of books. Scott has authored many books over the last 20+ years, including Upgrading and Repairing PCs (1st through 18th and Academic editions); Upgrading and Repairing Laptops (1st and 2nd editions); Upgrading and Repairing Windows; Upgrading and Repairing PCs: A+ Certification Study Guide (1st and 2nd editions); Upgrading and Repairing PCs Technician's Portable Reference (1st and 2nd editions); Upgrading and Repairing PCs Field Guide; Upgrading and Repairing PCs Quick Reference; Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Linux Edition; Killer PC Utilities; The IBM PS/2 Handbook; and Que's Guide to Data Recovery. Scott has produced several video training packages covering PC hardware, including a 6-hour, CD-based seminar titled Upgrading and Repairing PCs Training Course: A Digital Seminar from Scott Mueller. Scott has also produced other videos over the years, including Upgrading and Repairing PCs Video, 12th Edition; Your PC: The Inside Story; and 2+ hours of free video training included in the 10th and 12th through 18th editions of Upgrading and Repairing PCs as well as several editions of Upgrading and Repairing Laptops and Upgrading and Repairing Windows. Contact MTR directly if you have a unique book, article, or video project in mind, or if you want Scott to conduct a custom PC troubleshooting, repair, maintenance, upgrade, or data-recovery seminar tailored for your organization: Mueller Technical Research 3700 Grayhawk Drive Algonquin, IL 60102-6325 (847) 854-6794 (847) 854-6795 Fax Internet: scottmueller@compuserve.com Web: http://www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com http://www.scottmueller.com Scott has a private forum exclusively for those who have purchased one of his recent books or DVDs. Visit http://forum.scottmueller.com to view the forum. Note that posting is only available to registered members. Scott's premiere work, Upgrading and Repairing PCs, has sold well over 2 million copies, making it by far the most popular and longest-running PC hardware book on the market today. Scott has been featured in Forbes magazine and has written several articles for PC World magazine, Maximum PC magazine, the Scott Mueller Forum, various computer and automotive newsletters, and the Upgrading and Repairing PCs website. If you have suggestions for the next version of this book, any comments about the book in general, or new book or article topics you would like to see covered, send them to Scott via email at scottmueller@compuserve.com. When he is not working on PC-related books or on the road teaching seminars, Scott can usually be found in the garage working on anything with wheels and an engine.

Introduction 1 1 Development of the PC 7 2 PC Components, Features and System Design 25 3 Microprocessor Types and Specifications 39 4 Motherboards and Buses 235 5 BIOS 441 6 Memory 509 7 The ATA/IDE Interface 581 8 Magnetic Storage Principles 637 9 Hard Disk Storage 663 10 Removable Storage 707 11 Optical Storage 747 12 Physical Drive Installation and Configuration 851 13 Video Hardware 885 14 Audio Hardware 987 15 I/O Interfaces from Serial and Parallel to IEEE-1394 and USB 1025 16 Input Devices 1059 17 Internet Connectivity 1103 18 Local Area Networking 1151 19 Power Supplies 1207 20 Building or Upgrading Systems 1295 21 PC Mods: Overclocking and Cooling 1335 22 PC Diagnostics, Testing and Maintenance 1367 ON THE DVD: A Glossary B List of Acronyms and Abbreviations