BKDSKSOL.RVW  940805

Hayden Books
11711 N. College Ave., Suite 140
Carmel, IN   46032-5634
317-573-2500
317-581-3535
800-428-5331
800-428-3804
hayden@hayden.com
haydenbks@aol.com
76350.3014@compuserve.com
"Desperately Seeking Solutions", Kerwien, 1993, 1-56830-009-3, U$29.95/C$37.95

On the one hand, this book has some interesting features that could be very
valuable in a troubleshooting guide.  On the other hand, this book isn't really
written like a troubleshooting guide.

The book does have a lot of helpful info, even if you aren't in trouble.  After
a chapter on maintenance, and one (not terribly helpful) on troubleshooting
tactics, there are chapters on system software, fonts, applications and files,
the CPU (referring to the system unit, not the chip, itself), peripherals,
disks, printers, networks, and modems.  Two final chapters list technical
resources, and "symptoms and solutions".  This last is important, as it is
almost the only one written in the format that users expect from help guides.

The "fold-out, fail-not troubleshooter's road map poster" is probably meant to
fill in this lack.  It is a great idea, with two "unfortunately's" attached to
it.  In terms of the production, the poster is bound into the book with a
perforated edge so that it can be removed.  My copy arrived almost completely
detached.  (Bookstore browsers should check that the poster is there; you can't
miss it.  If you *can*, it's fallen out.)  The other, more important failing,
is that the road map fails to give pointers to the relevant sections of the
book.

Useful for the hobbyist; though it misses on some easy points; and some good
ideas for troubleshooting guide format.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994   BKDSKSOL.RVW  940805
 
======================
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
Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" (Oct. '94) Springer-Verlag