Dan Gookin

Dan Gookin has been writing about technology for 20 years. He has contributed articles to numerous high-tech magazines and written more than 90 books about personal computing technology, many of them accurate.
He combines his love of writing with his interest in technology to create books that are informative and entertaining, but not boring. Having sold more than 14 million titles translated into more than 30 languages, Dan can attest that his method of crafting computer tomes does seem to work.
Perhaps Dan’s most famous title is the original DOS For Dummies, published in 1991. It became the world’s fastest-selling computer book, at one time moving more copies per week than the New York Times number-one best seller (although, because it’s a reference book, it could not be listed on the NYT best seller list). That book spawned the entire line of For Dummies books, which remains a publishing phenomenon to this day.
Dan’s most recent titles include PCs For Dummies, 9th Edition; Buying a Computer For Dummies, 2005 Edition; Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies; Dan Gookin’s Naked Windows XP; and Dan Gookin’s Naked Office. He publishes a free weekly computer newsletter, “Weekly Wambooli Salad,” and also maintains the vast and helpful Web site www.wambooli.com.

Articles & Books From Dan Gookin

Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies
A beyond-the-basics guide to leveling up your skills in Microsoft Word Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies is an easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. You can enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field, with this in-depth resource.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-11-2025
Word is one of the most used computer programs on the planet. Helping you to compose text is one of the things that computers do well, but that doesn't make the text-writing chore easier or imply that using Word is simple enough that professionals like you don't need help every now and then. So enjoy this Cheat Sheet.
Microsoft 365 Word For Dummies
Take a deep dive into the most popular word processor on the planet Word, Microsoft's powerful and popular word processor, is capable of extraordinary things. From template building to fancy formatting and even AI-powered editing and proofing, your copy of Word stands ready to help you supercharge your productivity and save you time and energy.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-13-2024
Whether it’s a desktop the family uses, an office computer, or a liberating laptop you can take with you around the globe, everyone loves to cheat! Specifically, you may find it beneficial to print and save this bonus information to assist you with your beloved computer. Call it helpful hints, but For Dummies tradition labels this document a Cheat Sheet — once a $2.
PCs & Laptops For Dummies
A one-stop guide to making the most of your desktop PC or laptop computer PCs and Laptops For Dummies is the essential user's guide to the features your PC or laptop has to offer—and how to use them successfully. With this book as your coach, you can jump over technological hurdles with ease, navigating the hardware and software of your personal computer.
Article / Updated 08-16-2022
The only time you need to restore a system image on your Windows PC is when the entire hard drive is dead, missing, or replaced with a cheese sandwich. With all that data gone, you have to rely upon three items: A recovery volume: Use this media to start the PC and access the Windows Recovery Environment. The tools presented help you navigate through recovery.
Article / Updated 08-04-2022
The programming adventure has its pitfalls and most C programmers can’t claim to be free of some mistakes. Many of them are common; the same mistakes, over and over. Even after decades of coding, C programmers often still find themselves doing stupid, silly things. Most often they’re done in haste — usually, simple things.
Article / Updated 08-04-2022
It’s difficult to narrow down the list of reminders and suggestions, especially for a topic as rich and diverse as programming. For example, an expert could suggest ways to fit in with other programmers, which movies to quote, which games to play, and even which foods to eat. A programming subculture exists — even today, though the emphasis on professional workplace attire has thankfully abated.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 08-01-2022
If you are using Microsoft Word 2013, this Cheat Sheet will help you use it more efficiently with a list of handy keyboard shortcuts, special-character shortcuts, and some tips and tricks.Getting to know the Word 2013 screenBehold Word 2013’s screen. You see the promise of a new document and a bewildering number of buttons and gizmos.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-12-2022
Even though computers are supposed to make our lives easier, you may find it beneficial to print and complete some information about your personal computer (PC) on paper. You can use this as a reference for technical information, internet, and email information, or how all those wires and peripherals should be hooked up to your PC — even while the computer is off.