Getting Technical Support Help Online

Sometimes your PC will start acting strange for no apparent reason or a programwhich you use regularly will all of a sudden stop working as it should. Thiscan be a frustrating experience especially if you have no idea where to go forhelp. If this happens to you, don't panic! Here are some simple tips which mayturn your frown upside down.

1. Don't assume that your problem is unique. The chances are that someone elsehas had that problem and it has already been solved. Google is a great placefor getting technical support help believe it or not. You may have toexperiment with wording your problem and refining your search, but it's worth atry. For example my Outlook email client stopped showing me the 'Subject' fieldwhen I was composing new email. As a result all of my email was going outwithout a subject. After a bit of experimenting with wording the problem Ifound the answer by searching on the phrase "Outlook subject field missing".Someone in an online discussion group had the same problem and the answer wasprovided. When you find good discussions groups bookmark them for future use. Ihave a bookmark I call Technical Support Help and it's full of great web sites.

2. The Google trick is good for lots of software but you should always try theweb site of the program's manufacturer as well. Sometimes your problem isreally a bug and there may be a new release or work around available. Manysoftware web sites have FAQs, discussion lists, and help desks available thatprovide free support. Sometimes there is a telephone number that you can callbut you may have to pay for live help.

3. There are companies that offer free general help for simple questions andthen charge a sliding scale for more complicated ones. Support Freaks (www.supportfreaks.com) is a good one to try. Even if you have to pay, the rates are reasonable. Click on the "Freebies" link, under the "Quick Links" menu to see if your question is eligible for free help.

4. There are probably any number of local PC support groups that meet inlibraries and other locations near your home. Some of these groups are veryspecific in nature and some are general. Try searching Google for "PC SupportGroup" or "PC User group" and the name of your town. Also check with your locallibrarian and computer stores. They often know of these groups.

5. Speaking of computer stores, you can often pick the brains of the moreknowledgeable salespeople if you are lucky enough to find any. Many times theseemployees love computers so much that they will act as your big brother orsister if you need some quick help. Sometimes they moonlight as consultants ata good rate.

This ought to be enough information to get you started on the road to solvingyour next PC or software problem. If you are having Internet connectivityproblems then your ISP is the first place to start. If you can't get online atall, and you don't think you know their phone number, think again. I'll betthat it's printed on every bill that they send you. You'll also need youraccount number and you can bet that it's printed on the bill as well.

Remember -- When it comes to getting technical support help, the first rule is:Don't Panic!

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