Windows Vista Administrator's Pocket Consultant

by William R. Stanek

Portable and precise, this pocket-sized guide delivers immediate answers for the day-to-day administration of Windows Vista. Zero in on core support and maintenance tasks using quick-reference tables,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0735622965
• ISBN13: 9780735622968
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: Microsoft Press
• Length: 547 Pages
• Weight: 1.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.6" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Technically Accurate and Focused

An excellent book written to final Vista version with excellent coverage of new features including UAC, Bitlocker and more. Search on UAC and Bitlocker, and see for yourself. I've used this book for months and haven't found anything out of sync with the final. These 545 pages are packed with info and this is the most useful Vista book I own. Of all the Vista books I've purchased this is the only one I keep on my desk and refer to regularly. No single Vista book can do it all and this book isn't meant to do it all. This book promises to be the practical portable guide to Vista that zeroes in on core administration, and that's exactly what it delivers. Concisely and precisely. When I have questions on MS products I turn to Stanek's books. Stanek has a unique style and he understands the needs of administrators. Home users will find much of value in this book as well. I recommend this book highly. Great stuff!

The Must Have Manual for Vista

You can't lose with William's books. He always packs in so much information and its always clearly written and to the point. This book is 575 pages and it focuses on what administators and developers need to do their jobs. With a focus on daily administration, configuration, and optimization this has more relevant materials than any other book I've found at twice the price. One thing I've noticed with William's books is that he really wants to help you understand difficult subjects. He takes the time to thoroughly research and cover all the important aspects providing not just how to but why to where appropriate. He truly tries to make it easier for administrators to do their jobs and for this I'm thankful. Great stuff!

Technically Accurate and Best of the Bunch

William as always is able to take difficult technical topics and make them easier to understand. I have been running Vista since beta one, and this book is an excellent reference for those of us already familiar with Windows operating systems. He doesn't waste your time and jumps right in to explanations of the most significant changes in Vista and how these impact working with Vista. He divides the most complex topics into easy to understand sections and truly shows depth of understanding. As an MCSE I have enjoyed reading William's books for many years. I started out with his first Pocket Consultant about 8-9 years ago and have been getting every one he writes since. My understanding always increases several fold while reading his books whether a completely new subject or something more familiar. He always helps you understand subjects better and his always clear and concise approach is refreshing. You can't lose with Stanek's books. He knows how to zero in on what's important. He understands IT and writes from experience. This is an excellent book for those of us working in IT. My support and developer friends are always stealing my copy of this book.

Great reference tool

This is a well written, easy to follow resource that gives clear answers for administrators. It is a "how to" book that is a must for anyone who administers and supports Microsoft Vista. I love that it doesn't waste time on irrelevant things like games or pictures. If you are looking for a book that will help you on the job, this is the one. I learned many new techniques from this book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone upgrading and any current administrators. As a reference manual it can't be beat.

Accurate, informative and the best I've found

William Stanek is the one guy I rely on for computer books. If he's written a book on a subject I buy it no questions asked - his books are always the best and the most informative. Plus he knows how to pack in a lot of information clearly and concisely. I've read Stanek's Vista Pocket Consultant cover to cover and found it to be excellent. Flipping through the book without reading it or looking at the index without actually reading the book I could see how you might possibly miss its coverage of User Account Control and Bitlocker but I doubt it. A few pages into the first chapter Stanek introduces User Account Control and how it impacts working with Vista computers. He follows up with extensive discussions of User Account Control in Chapter 2 and Chapter 5. This when I read it was some of the best most clearly articulated discussion of User Account Control I've seen then or since. There's also some of User Account Control in Chapter 6. I've read all three chapters several times so I knew exactly where to go for this. Bitlocker drive encryption is another feature that is of course covered in the book. It's in Chapter 15! This book is written to the final release. I was the one in our lab testing Vista before we used any Vista machines in our company. Last month (February) I had the book open as I went through every nook and cranny of the new os for 4 weeks - every screen and detail matched up with the Vista version shipped from Dell on our computers. Windows Vista Administrator's Pocket Consultant is an excellent resource and highly recommended! The author packs more information into this little book than some books 2X the size. I love this book and don't know what I'd do without it.