Windows, the de facto standard operating system on PCs based on Intel processors, becomes more complex every day. Despite its beneficial effects, this complexity can make Windows inefficient in a particular hardware/software configuration.

This book gives suggestions and practical advice on how to use Windows (alone or with other MS-DOS programs) to get the most out of your PC. Thus, depending on your hardware configuration and the software you intend to run, you will be able to configure Windows and the background MS-DOS to get the fastest response from the system. The bulk of the optimization information given in this book refers to version 3.1 of Windows running on an 80386 PC in enhanced mode under MS-DOS 5.0. You will also find suggestions on optimizing Windows running in standard mode on 80286 or 80386 machines.

The book is organized in nine independent chapters. In the first chapter, the author presents the background issues on optimal software configuration of a PC for running Windows in detail. This chapter covers configuring CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files and memory management.

Booting up Windows and the necessary files are discussed in the next chapter. Suggestions are also given to customize loading Windows. This chapter discusses the structure of the Windows INI files implied in the customization, that is, SYSTEM.INI, WIN.INI, and PROGMAN.INI.

The third chapter deals with the integration of new devices into Windows and the upgrading of existing hardware resources (including internal RAM memory and external memory on hard disks). Additional information is given on optimal use of the printer and of Windows on a laptop. The chapter ends with advice on deleting some Windows files depending on your mode of running Windows (standard or enhanced) and on whether you intend to run MS-DOS programs as well.

The main issues in optimizing Windows performance, that is, memory management and hard disk management, are discussed in chapter 4. This chapter explains how Windows uses memory, what virtual memory is, and how to use it better. In the second part of the chapter, you will be advised on how to organize directories and maintain your disks. Source code of useful short utilities for routine housekeeping for hard disks is given, with comments. The chapter ends with some optimization and general usage tips to make Windows run faster. Also, some usually unknown files delivered with Windows are described.

In the fifth chapter, the author presents the best ways to run MS-DOS programs under Windows and covers related topics. The next chapter covers the multitasking capabilities of Windows and the sharing of information between programs. The interesting parts are on enabling multitasking for MS-DOS programs and the use of Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) for sharing information between  programs. 

The fundamental graphical elements of the Windows interface, that is, fonts, icons, and the desktop, are presented in chapter 7. The next chapter covers working with Windows on a network; telecommunication issues, that is, using a modem and serial ports under Windows; and the ways Windows can send and receive faxes.

The last chapter treats some elements of multimedia and Windows. Detailed information is given on using a sound card and a CD-ROM drive with Windows.

The book ends with two appendices and a subject index. Appendix A presents the reference material on SMARTDrive, RAMDrive, HIMEM, and EMM386 drivers. Appendix B gives a list of companies whose products are mentioned in the book.

An interesting feature of the book is the descriptions of and comments on the entries in the INI files corresponding to the topic being presented (where appropriate). These descriptions are presented from the point of view of  optimization. 

If you have problems with the response time of your Windows installation, this is the book you need. The suggestions and tips could be of great help. Since the author also treats optimization issues of Windows for Workgroups (the peer-to-peer networking version of Windows 3.1) when appropriate, this book could be useful for users of that operating system.

The book is well written, and reading it is pleasant, sometimes even fun. Since the chapters are independent, however, some information is redundant.