Tech Support

Last Updated: October 10, 2007

Here are some simple things to try when you're having problems:

• Reboot the computer.  Most problems go away after a reboot.
• Check the cable connections.  This fixes 90% of the hardware problems.
• Clear the dust from the inside of the computer.  Use an antistatic wrist band to prevent frying your computer with static electricity.  Use a can of compressed air so that nothing touches the parts inside the computer.  A dust free computer prevents overheating and a sudden shut down or crash.
• Network switches die one port at a time.  The activity lights for the network port may indicate everything is working, but you may not be able to connect to anything on the network.  Continue using the other ports on the switch.
• Restore the computer to an earlier point in time.  In Windows XP, click on Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore.  More powerful restore tools include Norton Save & Restore and Norton Ghost, but they need to be installed before there is a problem with the computer.

When an error occurs, make sure to write down the sequence of events that led to the error and what you did to fix it.  Here are some places to look to help you solve the problem.  Unfortunately, most problems aren't fixed by reading a single sentence and having the problem go away in less than 30 seconds.  Be mentally prepared to do a lot of research.

Calling Tech Support

ExtremeTech has a good article entitled Ten Tips: How to Get What You Want from Tech Support.

All of these are FREE!

• Search the help file.
• Visit the software or hardware's company web site.  Look for the "support" section on the home page.
• Look for the frequently asked questions (FAQ) section of a web site.
• If you want to search a page full of text, use Ctrl+F or Edit / Find on the menu.
• Call tech support, if it's free.
• Visit free web sites that specialize in tech support



Hardware and Software Support

• Tech Support Guy - Self proclaimed #1 tech support site.
• Computing.net - Windows, Linux, networking, security, PDA help.
• PC911 - Friendly Expert Computer Help - In Plain English
• PC Help Forum - Topics arranged by firewall, spam, network, Windows XP, etc.
• Protonic
• PC Magazine's recommended sites (Aug 2005)



Specializes in Hardware

• PC Mechanic
• ExtremeTech
• TG Forumz (Tom's Hardware Guide)



Specializes in Windows

• Microsoft's Knowledge Base - go straight to the source.
• Active Network - all about Windows articles, tips, FAQs, bug alerts, downloads, reviews and more.
• Help With Windows - choose a Windows version at the top of their page.
• DLL Files.com - solve those "can't find xxxxxx.dll file" errors.
• Boot Disk.com - Can't find your Windows boot disk?  Download it.
• Black Viper - All about Windows XP / Windows Vista Services and what they do.
• Beginners Guides: Understanding and Tweaking Windows XP Services
• Doug's Windows Tweaks and Tips - as the names suggests, tips and tweaks.
• Annoyances.org - Fix small quirks with Windows rather than "my computer's not working."



Networking

• Links to other sites


• Visit a newsgroup such as http://groups.google.com/.
• Search the web.
• Ask friends, family members, coworkers, or the company's computer department.

Remote Assistance

Are you having problems with your computer?  Do you wish a technically oriented friend or family member was sitting next to you to solve the problem?  If your computer can connect to the internet, then invite him/her to see your screen and share your keyboard and mouse to solve the problem together.

Remote assistance software is built into Windows NT/2000/XP and both computers need to have the same version of Windows.  For Windows XP, your computer can be the Home or Professional version, but the friend or family member MUST have the Professional version.  If that won't work, then RealVCN (free) or pcAnywhere ($37) works on any version of Windows, but needs to be installed on both computers before a connection can be made.

In Windows XP, there are two ways for a guest to log on to your computer to see your screen.  The first is a one time invitation and the other is to set up your guest with a user account to log in multiple times.  The one time invitation provides more security since you know when your guest is logged in.  The user account is good if think you are going to need lots of help from a friend or family member over several days, weeks, or months.

For a one time invitation, click on the Start button, Programs or All Programs, Remote Assistance, and follow the directions.  An e-mail will be sent to the guest with a link to log on to your computer.

To set up a user account with remote access, click on Start, Control Panel, Users, New.  Type in a user name and password.  To give the account remote access,

1. Right-click My Computer and choose Properties.
2. Select System Properties and go to the Remote tab.
3. Under Remote Desktop, check "Allow users to connect remotely to this computer."
4. Write down the "Full computer name" shown in the lower left corner of the dialog box.
5. Go into the advanced properties and choose your user account.

For the guest to log on, he/she needs to click Start, Programs or All Programs, Accessories, Communications, and then click Remote Desktop Connection.  Follow the directions.  You'll need the full computer name, user name, and password to log in.

PC World has a similar article entitled Fix Mom's PC From Your Home or Office.

More Help From Microsoft Tech Support

HOW TO: Enable Remote Assistance in Windows XP (article #305608)