BKPCTRBL.RVW 940707 SAMS 11711 N. College Ave., Suite 140 Carmel, IN 46032-5634 317-573-2500 317-581-3535 800-428-5331 800-428-3804 or 201 West 103rd St. Indianapolis, IN 46290 317-581-3718 fax: 317-581-4669 hayden@hayden.com "IBM Personal Computer Troubleshooting & Repair", Brenner, 1989, 0-672-22662-6, U$24.95/C$31.95 The title is not kidding. This is about IBM machines: the PC, the PC/XT, and the PC/AT. No Juniors, no PS/2s, no clones of any kind. That said, much of the material *should* be applicable to ISA/BIOS based machines. The average computer user, however, may have difficulty in applying the contents to *anything*. Brenner is into hardware. Fair enough, if you are writing a book on repairs, but Brenner is into hardware at the sub-chip level. Chapter one is a simple, or even simplistic, overview of the PC, XT, and AT systems. Chapters two to four make up for that in a hurry. They are detailed hardware descriptions of the PC, X, and AT, respectively. Detailed enough that they contain computer architecture diagrams of the CPUs and other component chips. Chip pinouts are given in detail, even though it isn't until chapter six that the reader is told how to determine pin numbering. Chapter five is a similarly detailed discussion of display adapter circuitry. Chapter six purports to suggest basic troubleshooting techniques: the suggested list (reprinted twice) is long on general advice and very short on "how to". The techniques consist primarily of identifying discrete components on the boards and removing them. Chapters seven and eight are a list of symptom-specific troubleshooting tips and flow charts. Very well presented, they unfortunately fail to cover some of the most frequent problems. When a system boots but doesn't display, one of the frequent causes is a failure to configure the dip switches on the motherboard for an extended ROM BIOS display. (This often happens when either the display adapter or motherboard is upgraded.) Brenner doesn't mention it. If both floppy drive lights come on and stay on, the floppy cable connector is often reversed. Brenner doesn't mention it. If, while running, the keyboard locks up, Brenner suggests removing all the adapter cards and replacing them, one at a time. Brenner is particularly fond of this activity, and recommends it for most problems. I'd try rebooting--keyboards lock up *all* the time. And, so it goes. Chapter nine is entitled, "Advanced Troubleshooting Techniques". It introduces oscilloscopes, multi-metres and logic probes, but with little discussion of what these might tell you. Chapter ten is probably the most useful chapter in the whole book, on preventive maintenance. For those already thoroughly familiar with their computer and the most common problems, this might allow them to extend their own troubleshooting into new areas. For the average user, the bulk of the book would be intimidating, and bewildering, at best. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994 BKPCTRBL.RVW 940707 ====================== DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters Editor and/or reviewer ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733 DECUS Symposium '95, Toronto, ON, February 13-17, 1995, contact: rulag@decus.ca