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Tech Questions Please include as much information as possible so we can solve your problem in less time. Back to the Tech Support Center Tech Support Self-Help Pages Maintenance | Maintenance | | | PC Testing | | | PC Updates Cleaning Keyboard Keyboard Layout Mouse Cleaning Monitor Cleaning Systems Box Cleaning | | | | | | Hardware Help Contains some information about how to keep your Hardware clean. If you are having a Hardware Problem then just click on the link below Hardware | | | | | | Microsoft Knowledge Base. One of the first places a computer user should look when experiencing technical difficulties is the Microsoft Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/. The Knowledge Base is full of informative articles, it’s free, and it’s easy to use. Using the Search function, select the category of articles that best fits your question. Next, enter keywords or phrases. If you’d like to make your search more specific, click Show Options so you can enter more search criteria. Once you’ve chosen your search criteria, click Search Now; the results will appear on the right side of the screen. | | When something goes wrong with a PC, many people immediately assume the cause is something very complex and technical. Well, the cause may indeed be complicated, but just as finding the flat tire on your car saved you time and money, starting with the simplest explanation for your PC’s woes may save you troubleshooting hours and technical-support calls. A calm, reasoned, methodical approach to problem-solving helps you eliminate some explanations and focus your attention on the likely cause of your computer troubles. Thus, when troubleshooting, start with anything that’s easy to check and to correct. Checking to see if a wire got knocked loose can save you a lot of time trying to find why your speakers don't work. The best way to fix problems with your PC is to prevent them from happening in the first place. Fortunately, all versions of Windows come equipped with several tools designed to keep your system in tip-top condition. For example, Disk Defragmenter organizes data on the hard drive for optimum performance. The only trick is remembering to run these utilities and perform other basic system maintenance tasks on a regular basis.
Troublefree Maintenance. Without scrupulous oversight on your part, your system maintenance schedule will eventually hit a snag that puts your system at risk. You can minimize the likelihood of such problems by heeding a little preventative advice. Keep Your Windows and Internet Explorer Software Up to Date with Windows Update
Keep your computer on. The problem with maintenance utilities is that you can’t run them effectively while you’re using the computer. Consequently, many computer users set the Task Scheduler to launch the utilities in the middle of the night when no one is using the PC. Such a strategy works well as long as the user leaves the computer on and running overnight. Reset power management settings. Windows Power Options may shave a few bucks off your electric bill, but we recommend disabling all power-saving settings on your PC if you want to get optimum performance, especially in the area of system maintenance. The power management settings can interrupt your maintenance utilities or prevent them from running in the first place. Tech Support Preparation Is The Key. An abundance of information will help make your tech support time count. The more knowledgeable you are, the less time your agent has to spend gathering information about your system and the problem you are having. Being prepared will also help to eliminate wasteful guesswork, which can lead you down any number of fruitless paths.
Know your system. At a bare minimum, you should always have the basic stats on your system handy. If you don’t already know these details, create a cheat sheet you can refer to whenever working with your PC. Always include information about the make and model of your computer, your OS (operating system), your processor model and speed, the amount of memory you have, your hard drive space, how you connect to a network or to the Internet, and a list of any hardware or added peripherals. This data will help you and your agent spot any known conflicts or problems with system requirements.
Know the source of trouble. You should also get as much information as you can about the application (if a software issue) or component (if a hardware issue) with which you are having trouble. Get the version number of any software (you can almost always find this by clicking Help on the toolbar and choosing About from the menu), and the make, model, and serial number of any hardware. Many technical problems are isolated to a particular version or model; having this information available can make support much easier.
Know your problem. The more detailed an explanation you can provide about your specific problem, the better help you’ll receive. Identify exactly what you want to do (transfer photos from your new digital camera to your PC), know how you’re trying to do it (plugging the cable into the serial port, installing the companion software, and clicking Download Photos from the File menu), and describe what’s happening instead (the software is searching for the camera but can’t seem to find it). This kind of information will get you much further in much less time than if you just say, “Um, my camera isn’t working.” When in doubt, reboot. The first thing you should always do when any technical problem arises is reboot your system and try again. If you’re having trouble with a piece of hardware, cycle its power, as well (this may be as simple as unplugging it, waiting a few seconds, and powering it back up). You’ll be amazed at how many problems rebooting solves. The Help and Support Center in the Windows® XP operating system represents a significant milestone in delivering a single resource for Online Help, support, tools, how to articles, and other resources. Extensive Online Help is accessible via Search, the Index, or the table of contents. Plus it’s easy to get Help from an online Microsoft support professional, trade questions and answers with other Windows XP users on Windows newsgroups, or use Remote Assistance to have a friend, co–worker, or Helpdesk professional assist you. 
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