Windows XP Pocket Reference

O'Reilly had a brilliant idea when they started their Pocket Reference series. These are small (about 5 x 7 inches) manuals that provide a terse explanation of all or nearly all commands available in whatever subject is being covered, Windows XP in this case. They are not for beginners: they are for experts, people who know the system, but need a handy prompt when they can't quite remember a command. This book serves as a memory jogger and provides the proper syntax but little, if any, explanation. A great tool to keep handy. Jerry

I must admit, when I first saw the size of this book I thought that it was just going to be another half-hearted attempt at a reference manual for the basics of Windows XP. In fact, so sure I was of this, I let it sit on my shelf for over a month before I bothered to read through it. Was I ever wrong...This book covers a wide range of tasks under Windows XP. Everything from how to schedule tasks, to how to setup user accounts, even an entire section devoted to Windows XP security! The book does a good job of grouping each tip by category, and then going straight into detail with the tips: How do I do it; What are the benefits of doing it; What are the options for doing it?The only thing this book is missing would be a handy "tabbing" along the right side of the book to make it quick to finger over to a particular section. However, the content of this book more than make up for this minor omission.This book is good for the moderate to advanced user of Windows XP. It covers many of the advanced tasks and not-so-subtle features that you will find in the OS, including such details as giving a handy class-id listing for common objects under XP. A good "pocket book" for anyone who uses Windows XP on a daily basis.

I must admit, when I first saw the size of this book I thought that it was just going to be another half-hearted attempt at a reference manual for the basics of Windows XP. In fact, so sure I was of this, I let it sit on my shelf for over a month before I bothered to read through it. Was I ever wrong...This book covers a wide range of tasks under Windows XP. Everything from how to schedule tasks, to how to setup user accounts, even an entire section devoted to Windows XP security! The book does a good job of grouping each tip by category, and then going straight into detail with the tips: How do I do it; What are the benefits of doing it; What are the options for doing it? Advanced topics in this book get into how to use the recovery console (a godsend when needed!), how to boost performance through registry settings, even how to get down to the "brass tacks" of your system through some little-known command-line utility (such as diskpart, a disk partitioner -- something even I had no idea existed until I read about it).The only thing this book is missing would be a handy "tabbing" along the right side of the book to make it quick to finger over to a particular section. However, the content of this book more than make up for this minor flaw.This book is good for the moderate to advanced user of Windows XP. It covers many of the advanced tasks and not-so-subtle features that you will find in the OS, including such details as giving a handy class-id listing for common objects under XP. A good "pocket book" for anyone who uses Windows XP on a daily basis.

I was surprised and pleased to discover the amount of thought that has gone into this little book. In addition to a rapid 'getting started' section, there's a lot of attention to the types of things I frequently need to look up, such as where a setting is found or what the syntax of an command is. But I was most interested in the last chapter, a "security checklist," which helps close all the "back doors" (as the author puts it) in my system. A bargain and a great find!