Microsoft Windows XP Professional Administrator's Pocket Consultant, Second Edition (Pro-Administrator's Pocket Consultant)

Whether you support 50 users or 5000, this practical guide provides fast answers for the day-to-day administration of the Windows XP Professional operating system. This popular, pocket-sized resource has been fully updated for Windows XP Service Pack 2, with new information on security administration, networking, maintenance, and more. Focus on essential system support issues and procedures with quick-reference tables, instructions, and lists. You ll get the precise information you need to solve problems and get the job done whether you re at your desk or in the field! Get fast facts to: Manage and troubleshoot the Windows environment Configure hardware and network devices Customize desktop settings and optimize the user workspace Manage user accounts, system access, and passwords Enable mobile networking and remote access Configure offline files, disk quotas, and shadow copies Schedule routine maintenance and backups Troubleshoot system problems and optimize performance NEW Install and maintain programs, and manage disk drives and file systems NEW Utilize security features including Add-on Manager, Pop-up Blocker, and Windows Firewall

Ounce for ounce and dollar for dollar, the Pocket Consultant series from Microsoft Press is one of the best values around. The editors do a good job of recruiting competent authors and having them comply with well-thought-out style and formatting rules. Microsoft Windows XP Professional Administrator's Pocket Consultant is one of the gems of the series. Author William Stanek has spent time working with his subject--this book wasn't rushed to market to match the Windows XP release date--and he's good at revealing its administrative procedures clearly and concisely. The book is nicely indexed, so locating the section you need takes very little effort. This book--slightly larger than a paperback novel--is ideal for a harried administrator responsible for many different software products, as well as for consultants who need to learn how to use Windows XP Professional in a hurry.

A particularly nice characteristic of Stanek's style: His skill at combining straight procedures ("Just follow these steps and it'll work") with supplementary information about options ("On the other hand, if you're doing something unusual, you might need to modify the standard procedure a bit"). As no real-life installation of Windows XP ever seems to match authors' ideas of normalcy, the supplementary information is critical. Screen shots are nicely handled as well. Their presence helps clarify what the text means, but they're not so large as to waste space. --David Wall

Topics covered: Microsoft Windows XP Professional, as system administrators need to understand it. The author explains hardware installation, permissions setting, network security zones, and several kinds of network connectivity. Coverage of the specific requirements of mobile users--including virtual private networks (VPNs) and dial-up--is particularly welcome.