Effective Ways to Get Technology Support

 

Getting support for your technology problems can be hard, but there are ways to make it easier. This article is aimed at providing you with a set of strategies to use when trying to solve a technical problem to make the process easier and more likely to produce a quick and effective result.

Before you ask for help, you need to know that 90 percent of solving a problem is determining what the problem is. So you can make the process much faster by doing the following:

Initial Steps:

1. Reboot the computer, and try to reproduce the problem.
2. If the problem is still happening, write down any error messages you get.
3. Before moving on to the next step, ask yourself if there's another way to accomplish the task you're trying to accomplish – troubleshooting computer problems can be frustrating, and having a deadline looming over you only increases the sense of urgency. If you can accomplish your task using a different program or even a different computer and return to troubleshoot the problem later, you'll be much less stressed about the issue.

Okay, so the easy steps didn't work, here's what's next:

Think about what the problem could be:

• Have you recently installed any new programs or utilities that may be causing this problem? For example, if you downloaded and installed a new screen saver program, and then later noticed that Microsoft Word wasn't working, the problem may be due to the screen saver program.

  If you've recently added or removed software and you think that may be causing the problem, undo the changes you made (install or uninstall the program that you suspect may be causing the problem) and see if that resolves the issue.

• Has anything else changed? For example did you have a blackout/brownout/sudden surge in power or electrical storm? Power fluctuations can affect computer equipment, especially if your equipment isn't plugged into a surge protector, or a surge protector that's overloaded. Maybe you were cleaning your office and moved or unplugged some equipment and/or cables – double check that everything is plugged in properly.
• Is the problem affecting only your computer, or is it affecting everyone in the office? If the issue you're dealing with is only affecting your computer, you may be able to see what's wrong by checking the settings on another machine. For example, if you can't print, but you can from another computer in the office with the same operating system and software, you can look at their printer settings to see if your computer is configured correctly.
• Is your software up to date? Many software companies will periodically release software updates that fix problems with the software. It's possible that the problem you're having would be fixed by applying an update.
• If your problem involves your network or your connection to the internet, think about how this works.
• If you get internet access through your LAN, see if other people in your office are having the same problem.
• Check that your hub, server, and firewall are working -- can other computers in the office connect to the server? What about connecting to the internet? Is the server on? Can you try rebooting the server? If you have a firewall, is it working? Can you try rebooting the firewall?
• If you use a dial-up modem for internet access, check to make sure that your modem is plugged in and working – do you hear a dialtone? Does the modem actually dial a number? Do you hear any connection noises?
• If nothing has been changed on your system, try running Norton Utilities' WinDoctor, and have it fix any problems that it finds. Reboot your computer and see if that fixes the problem.
• If you're using Windows 95 or 98 (and occasionally 2000), consider reinstalling drivers if the issue appears to be hardware related. For some reason, Windows 95 and 98 can sometimes be susceptible to corrupted drivers.

That didn't work either?

Try searching the Web. Keep in mind that when you're looking for information about a computer problem, either on the Web or on the phone with someone, it makes everyone's time much more productive if you can effectively describe the problem you're having.

Saying (or searching for) "Windows is broken" doesn't really help anyone because it's not a good description of what the problem is.

Saying "when I try to download my e-mail, I get a "connection to server failed" message in Outlook" is much better because it narrows down the list of what could be wrong, and gives you a clearer sense of how to view the problem.

• Go to the Web site of the company that makes the product you're having the problem with. If it's a software problem, like your e-mail program won't open, check the site for the software company. If it's hardware problem, go to the hardware manufacturer's site. Most companies have a support section on their Web site that you can search for a description of your problem and possible solutions. Maybe someone else has had the problem and there's a fix for it, or maybe there's an update that resolves the problem.
• Using the error message that you wrote down, search Google for the error message and/or a description of the problem.

Google has specific search sections for different operating systems:

• http://www.google.com/microsoft for Microsoft  (Windows)
• http://www.google.com/mac for Apple  (Apple)
• http://www.google.com/linux for Linux

Most likely, someone else has had the same problem, and you'll be able find some pointers on how to fix the problem. Another good source of information is the Google's index of newsgroups located at http://groups.google.com page, which can also be accessed through the groups tab on the Google search page. If you find information or examples that suggest solutions, try them! Chances are good that you'll find a solution that fixes the problem. Please be aware though that it can be hard to find exactly what you're looking for – sometimes the search terms that see obvious aren't so obvious to everyone else, so if nothing turns up with your first search, try different search terms. Also keep in mind that solutions will differ for different versions of the same program or operating system, do be sure to pay attention to those details. Finally, please bear in mind that there may be bad information out there that may not fix the problem. If you come across a solution that seems extreme or just doesn't sound or feel right, don't try it – research it more and see if other people are suggesting the same thing. You're ultimately the only person responsible for fixing the problem, so take as much time as you need to be certain that the solutions you try are ones that make sense to you and other credible sources [For example, it may unwise to heed advice about Windows from a Mac Web site]

Other Web sites to search:

• Microsoft knowledgebase
• Apple Support
• The Linux Documentation Project
• orums

If you've exhausted these strategies, and still haven't found a solution, contact us by e-mail (if possible). Include a detailed description of the problem, the steps that you took to troubleshoot it, what those steps lead you to believe about the nature of the problem, and when you're available to talk about how to resolve the problem.