Getting Help Online

Start with search

"Put your error message into Google, and you will be surprised to see how well it goes in solving your exact problem." --Andrew Bartlett, network administrator for Hawker College, Hawker, Australia.

Searching is often the best first step in solving a technical problem. Any of the major search engines will return lots of relevant information.

You may get a direct answer or you may need to pursue several leads until you find what you need. Don't give up too easily -- persistence will usually pay off.

You can often find specific answers to obscure problems by searching at http://groups.google.com/.

My Google Custom Search below combines searches at many of the websites mentioned on this page. It will give you better search results with less irrelevant clutter than a raw Google search would.

The custom search below (click the image to go to the website) from Windows Secrets targets Windows-related help, tweaks and tips.

More places to get help online

• TechSpot yielded excellent results in Brian Dunn's comparison of search results.
• DTS-L.org has good advice on where and how to go about getting help from support groups.
• Computer Haven has answers for ordinary users. You can post your questions at their forum.
• HelpWithWindows.com: Search for answers in their extensive database or post your question in their Support BBS (forum).
• There are a lot of knowledgeable cyber citizens at Neat Net Tricks' Bulletin Board (forum) who are more than willing to answer your questions.
• Suggest A Fix: "Where People with problems come for help, and answers come from people that know..." Highly regarded.
• Live Tech Online uses specialized software and the Internet to fix your computer problems online. Their screen sharing technology allows them to diagnose and fix your computer while you're online. Of course, that's not much help if you can't get online. But then you wouldn't be reading this either. ;-)
• There was always a *ton* of information on Microsoft's various sites but it's much better organized now, so go have a look.

Special help online

• Windows often has shutdown (and restart) problems -- especially laptops. Windows Shutdown Center is an expert site devoted to just these problems, including a specific troubleshooting process.
• ModemHelp covers all aspects of modems, and you can find good help with USB peripherals at USBMan. Google would be a good place to start for other specific problem areas.
• You will find a very complete collection of fixes at Annoyances.org. It is assembled for and by actual users of Microsoft Windows. You can get personalized help through their forums.
• PC Guide has good tutorials on a wide range of topics. For example, hard drives.

Sandhills Publishing -- Smart Computing

Sandhills Publishing offers their subscribers two ways to get online support. Go to their Tech Support Center or use their free computer help line: 1-800-368-8304. (You can get one help session even if you are not a subscriber.)

If you are a subscriber, you will also have access to their Question And Answer Board, where you can pose your question and get answers from other readers.

A subscription to one of their great magazines, e.g., Smart Computing, will open a treasure trove of help and information about computers and other technology. Online or call 1-800-334-7458.

Microsoft online

• The Help and Support Center, with a link to Product Solution Centers, like the Windows XP Support Center, for example. There's also an Internet Explorer Support Center and many others.
• Microsoft has a new entry point -- "Windows Help and How-to" -- that is oriented more toward using your computer.
• Microsoft Knowledge Base (see the search box in the left column), including Knowledge Base article # and keyword searches. (KBalertz offers a better way to search the Knowledge Base.)
• Windows XP Newsgroups are peer-to-peer forums, where you can find other Windows XP users, seek help, and share your experiences to help others.
• Windows XP help online; US Product Support; and Personal Online Support are other good entry points.
• Microsoft Downloads:
  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp
  http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp
• Windows 98 specific:
  http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/corporate.asp

More on the Web

• The PC World article "Hanging Up on Tech Support" lists a good selection of online help sites and their readers have suggested Protonic.com and PC Help Forum.
• The List of Lists is an excellent index of computer and Internet topics. It's presented in the form of a directory with well-organized categories from which to pick. Maintained by David Stockbridge & Ted Quantrill.
• James Eshelman has an extensive list of Windows help resources, as well as many expert articles of his own at his "MVP" site.
• Steve Bass at PC World has a list of his favorite places to get tech support online.