I've done stupid things to my computer, things I would never admit. But I've also saved its life and dealt with accidental reformatting (not my fault!). Every PC is different like our fingerprints. We customize options, install applications, remove default settings and do different things to it. So, a solution may not be the same for two PCs experiencing the same problem. This means trying out various workarounds and fixes.
I rarely have trouble addressing the problems I run into with my PC. If I can't do it, then I go to the other pro in the house whose job relates to tech support. Usually between us, the problem gets solved. On rare occasions, we call the manufacturer. Still, we find found in the book tips that we hadn't tried. Others in our shoes might find it useful as well and if someone comes to us asking for help, we can loan them the book when we can't assist.
Throughout the book Surviving PC Disasters, Mishaps, and Blunders, the authors share horror stories, which are good teaching tools so you can learn the lesson from someone else's mistake and avoid making your own. Not only are computers covered, but also PDAs, cell phones, digital cameras and scanners. This is a well-rounded book with coverage on theft, backup and recovery, viruses, spam, junkware and fraud.
If you're not into techie things, but want to keep your computer healthy--the book won't bore you. Quite the opposite, as the authors write with humor and down-to-earth feel. An example: after attempting to rescue a hard drive which continues to sputter, try the "defibrillator" method. It states to unplug the computer and remove the computer's cover, and then "yell 'CLEAR!'" and lightly tap the face of the hard drive. How can you not like a book with stuff like that?
Article comments
1 - DrPat
In reading your review, I was reminded of a friend with a Mac, who (years ago, young and foolish) kept formatting his internal hard drive.
The solution turned out to be to rename his drive "The Hard [effing] Drive Again," so whenever he opened the format window, it asked him politely, "Do you want to format The Hard [effing] Drive Again?"