We have all wanted to take an axe to our computer and hack away at it from time to time. Unfortunately though, that is not the hacking I really have in mind right now. The hacking I am talking about it getting in under the belly of the beast and changing things to fit your nature. There are hundreds if not thousands of different ways you can make Windows XP your own. Windows XP Hacks, Second Edition from O’Reilly is your right hand man when it comes to changing a few things about the way Windows XP works.

Through thirteen chapters, Preston Gralla, the author, holds your hand as you go through changing everything from the startup screen to the hardware on your system. There has been no dark space of the operating system left un-tweaked, and by the end of reading the book you should at least have a better understanding of what you can do to make Windows XP work better for you. It is all about getting better functionality for the way you want your computer to work for you. You shouldn’t have to be working for the computer.

If you don’t feel comfortable hacking into the registry, then every once in a while the author is able to give you another program that can do the changes for you. It is all about customization. You wouldn’t want to live in a house where you couldn’t move the furniture around, would you? You shouldn’t have to use a computer that doesn’t let you change the way things work, either.

While I’ve heard about a few of the hacks before, many are new to me. Sure, there are hundreds of Web sites out there that will tell you how to do this stuff for free. Do you really want to spend hours searching for all the tips and tricks, though? With Inside Windows XP Hacks, you have them all in one spot. Now you can better spend that time you would have used for searching!

If you do not belive me when I tell you there are lots of great hacks inside the pages of this book, go take a look on O’Reilly’s Web site for yourself. It has several “sample hacks” for you to take a look at right there. So go ahead and pick up a great second edition of an already great book. You will be hacking away at Windows XP in no time at all, I promise!