Best selling Windows Books: Covering Windows 2000, NT, XP and more!
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Welcome to the Microsoft Windows books page. I often receive emails asking me for best book suggestions for Windows operating systems (OS). Though Windows is not really my speciality, I do work close with Windows administrators, and my SQL Server DBA job requires good understating of Windows operating systems. There are hundreds of books available on Windows, but here is a list of good Windows books to start with. Hope you find this compilation of top Windows books useful. Click on the book image or book title for more information, or to purchase that book!

Windows XP for Dummies Windows XP for Dummies does a good job in its role as the flagship of the Dummies line, providing Windows novices with a guided introduction to Microsoft's latest and most feature-rich operating system for everyday computer users. Its treatment of computer, Windows, and Internet fundamentals is among the best on the market, and author Andy Rathbone has an appealing way of writing that's simultaneously fun and detail-rich. If you're a Windows novice--meaning you don't know how to undelete a file that's been sent to the Recycle Bin, or what a Web browser is, or what it means to "cut and paste" text--you will get a lot out of Rathbone's work.

Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out Ed Bott and Carl Siechert have combined their considerable talents for producing user-level documentation in creating Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out. One of the most carefully researched books on Windows XP to date, this large volume has all the information and procedures most everyday users of the operating system will want. With its nicely formatted how-to instructions, detailed documentation of command-line commands, intelligent explanatory text, and broad scope, this book makes a great reference for a family or business that uses Windows XP extensively. Even the illustrations are more helpful than usual, largely because the publisher has gone to the trouble of annotating many of them with pointers and labels.

Windows XP Home Edition: The Missing Manual (O'Reilly Windows) David Pogue provides the most authoritative book with coverage of every feature from the new two-column Start menu to setting up an office network and sharing an Internet connection with several PCs. Softcover.

Mastering Windows 2000 Server (Fourth Edition) The complete guide to enterprise networking with Windows 2000! -Number-one Windows authority Mark Minasi teaches you the secrets for building trouble free Windows 2000 networks. -Covers through the third Service Pack.

Windows XP Annoyances How to get the most out of Windows XP, even when it appears that the operating system is working against you. Troubleshooting techniques, hardware advice, Registry hacking, interface customization, and advanced networking subjects all find a place in this book.

MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit: Microsoft Windows 2000 Core Requirements, Second Edition, Exams 70-210, 70-215, 70-216, 70-217 Four kits in one! Get self-paced, from-the-source information and practice with the skills measured by the core exams for the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification on Windows 2000-all in one box. Covering core Exams 70-210, 70-215, 70-216, and 70-217, these official Microsoft study guides deliver in-depth training in hands-on, learn-by-doing format. Each book also contains 200+ pages of exam-preparation material, along with a testing tool to help assess what you know and where to focus your studies-before taking the actual exams.

Microsoft Windows XP Professional Administrator's Pocket Consultant 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.

Windows XP in a Nutshell Here is a book for the power user who is familiar with a previous version of Microsoft Windows and wants to go deeper into the system than the average Windows user does. Rather than a beginner?s guide or tutorial, this straightforward reference delivers more than 500 pages of concentrated information. For those who are ready to customize the system or take on daily troubleshooting, Windows XP in a Nutshell will unlock the hidden power of Windows XP.

Microsoft Windows 2000 Scripting Guide Written by the Microsoft experts who know Windows 2000 scripting technologies best, this authoritative guide delivers the detailed information and examples that IT professionals need to automate system administration tasks and maximize their productivity.

Programming Windows with C# (Core Reference) This core reference provides the expert guidance that professional developers need to build applications with Windows Forms-the next-generation Microsoft Windows programming class library. Best-selling author on programming for the Windows operating system Charles Petzold shows readers how to use Microsoft Visual C#-the advanced, object-oriented language for the Microsoft .NET platform-to create dynamic user interfaces and graphical outputs for distributed or stand-alone applications.

Microsoft Windows XP Step by Step (with CD-ROM) MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP STEP BY STEP offers self-paced instruction to the beginning-to-intermediate user who wants to get the most out of Windows XP. This personal training system offers easy-to-follow lessons full of clear objectives, a wealth of task-oriented procedures, and dozens of real-world business scenarios. MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP STEP BY STEP consists of friendly, straightforward instruction with dozens of full-color screenshots and illustrations to help you learn exactly what you need to know at your own pace. A companion CD-ROM includes practice files that are tightly integrated with the lessons, plus movie-style demonstrations of key procedures. Other features include a "QuickLook Guide" for easy visual navigation, a "Finding the Best Starting Point for You" section to help you decide how to get the most out of the book, and a special lay-flat binding to keep the book open during lessons.

Hacking Exposed Windows 2000 From the best-selling co-authors of the world-renowned book, Hacking Exposed, comes Hacking Windows 2000 Exposed. You'll learn, step-by-step, how to defend against the latest attacks by understanding how intruders enter and pilfer compromised networks and weaknesses in password encryption, domain control, Web and IIS 5 communications, LM/NTLM protocols, Active Directory, NetBIOS services, and much more.

Programming Windows, the Definitive Guide to the Win32 API Presents what you need to know to write programs that run under Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, & Windows NT 5.0. These programs are written in the C programming language & use the native Windows application programming interfaces (APIs). CD-ROM included.

MCSE Windows XP Professional Exam Cram 2 (Exam Cram 70-270) This is the perfect study guide to help readers pass the first exam in Microsoft's four core OS exams - Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional (Exam 70-270). With this book, readers master the skills and concepts necessary to address exam objectives including planning, installation, configuration, administration, support, security, and troubleshooting of Windows XP Professional. It teaches how to analyze Microsoft's trick questions and distracters by providing practice exam questions arranged in a format similar to the actual exam. Readers preparing for this exam find the best-selling Exam Cram2 series to be the smartest, most efficient way to become certified.

Inside Active Directory (AD): A System Administrator's Guide This administrator's guide outlines strategies for managing Active Directory within Windows 2000 distributed networks. It covers design, architecture, topology, deployment, and management issues. And it provides instructions for administering the entire network operating environment. The book begins with an overview, covers core features, and then explains specialized skills. Diagrams, charts, and screen captures illustrate the text. Kouti and Seitsonen are trainers and consultants.

Microsoft Windows XP Professional Resource Kit Documentation Roll out, support, and optimize Microsoft's next-generation operating system with expertise from those who know the technology best-the Windows XP product development team. This powerhouse guide is the all-in-one reference that computer-support professionals and administrators rely on to install, customize, and support Windows XP. It includes hundreds of pages of technical details-all designed to help you save time, reduce support costs, and lower your total cost of ownership (TCO).

Microsoft Windows 2000 and IIS 5.0 Administrator's Pocket Consultant Summarizes core web administration tasks for Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS) and Indexing Services. The reference guide reviews procedures for customizing IIS, working with web server security, managing file transfer protocol (FTP) and simple mail transport protocol (SMTP), administering the Indexing Service, and tracking user access and logging.

Mastering Windows 2000 Professional Geared more for the desktop than the network closet, Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional has its own collection of features to be capitalized upon and quirks to be accommodated. A couple of esteemed Windows authors--Mark Minasi and Todd Phillips--weigh in on the new and improved operating system in Mastering Windows 2000 Professional. Their expertise and obviously thorough research have yielded a fine book. This is a super choice for power users, systems administrators, and others who want a detailed picture of Windows 2000 Professional's features and how they work.

The Windows XP/2000 Answer Book: A Complete Resource from the Desktop to the Enterprise An invaluable resource for Windows system administrators, small business managers, and home users, The Windows XP/2000 Answer Book answers more than one thousand of the most frequently asked questions about the newest and most powerful versions of the Windows operating system. It provides solutions to real-world Windows system administration problems and shows users of all levels how to take full advantage of their Windows systems.

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Administrator's Companion, Second Edition This expanded second edition is the essential everyday reference for IT professionals tasked with deploying, supporting, and maintaining enterprise installations of Windows 2000 Server.