Residential Computing

Top 5 Sites for Troubleshooting Tech Problems

Whether you'd simply like to learn more about how your computer works or you just can't wait until an RCC is available to fix your problems, the Internet can be an extremely valuable resource for troubleshooting computer issues. However, there are literally thousands of websites devoted to helping you identify and resolve computer-related problems. This article is meant to help you navigate your way through the tangled morass of tech websites.

5. Woopid

Woopid is a tutorial site that is full of videos detailing almost any computer task you can think of, from changing your Xbox 360's resolution settings to starting up Microsoft Word 2007. The site has videos detailing common tasks in Windows, Mac OS, Linux (Ubuntu), configuring Blackberries, iPhones, iPods, game consoles, and software suites such as Office and Adobe CS. While Woopid is still in its early stages, it promises to be an extremely valuable resource, both for beginners looking to get acquainted with their systems and for advanced users just seeking to learn more tips and tricks.
For an sample tutorial, check out the Woopid Intro to Networking in Mac OS X Leopard.

4. Sharpened Glossary

Sharpened.net in itself is a very helpful site for answering computer-related questions. This list entry, however, focuses solely on the Sharpened Glossary. Trying to decipher online articles or forum posts from advanced users can be overwhelming due to large amounts of acronyms and technical jargon, and it is easy to lose track of the overall meaning entirely and become discouraged. The Sharpened Glossary is a useful resource for decoding computer jargon.

The Sharpened Glossary is geared towards new users, and so its definitions contain a lot of analogies and everyday language. For example, here is the Sharpened definition of Malware:

Short for "malicious software," malware refers to software programs designed to damage or do other unwanted 
	actions on a computer system. 
	In Spanish, "mal" is a prefix that means "bad," making the term "badware," which is a good way to remember it (even if 
	you're not Spanish).

3. Tech Support Forum

Tech Support Forum is another incredibly useful tech website. It has a wider variety of topics than Tech Support Guy, with forums dedicated to specific web browsers and hardware components, and even for topics like automotive work and web design. Tech Support Forum can be more useful than TSG for highly technical users, as its topics tend to be more advanced. Its user accounts are free as well.

Tech Support Forum also has a built-in price comparison tool (powered by PriceGrabber) that can be accessed through the Site Map in the upper-left area of the site under the logo. This is a useful tool that allows you to compare prices for thousands of different items from many online merchants. There is also a basic speed test tool (in the site, it is under Main -> Speed Test) that will display your Internet's current download speed. This can be helpful for diagnosing connection problems.

2. Tech Support Guy

Tech Support Guy (TSG) is one of the largest tech support communities on the internet, with over 550,000 members and 880,000 threads in the forums. TSG has a wide range of forums supporting all types of operating systems and devices. TSG also recently added a "Library of Knowledge" to the site, which contains articles on almost any tech topic imaginable. The Tech Support Guy forums hold archives of millions of posts on many different subjects. First search the forums for any issues similar to yours. Once you find a similar problem, you can search through the comments and see if any of the posted solutions work for you. If a search returns no useful results, you can create a free account with the site and post your problem to the appropriate forum. You will generally start to receive replies within a day. It is important to note that forum etiquette dictates that you do a thorough search of the existing posts before you start a new topic.

Quick Tip: It is proper etiquette on the TSG forums (and for all internet forums in general) to make sure that when you start a new topic, it is in the correct area of the forum. If you post a virus issue in the "Network Help" section, for example, you may have to wait longer for people to reply to your post and you will undoubtedly incur the wrath of the forum administrators (not a good way to start on the forums!).

For more help on navigating the forums and forum rules, visit the TSG welcome page here.

1. Google

By far the most obvious entry on this list, Google is also arguably the most useful because it acts as a master resource. While it will not necessarily give you answers directly, a Google search will direct you to many sites that may have the solution to your problems. When using Google, it is best to include as much information about your problem as possible, while still keeping your search concise and to the point. For example, always include any error messages you may be receiving, model numbers of troublesome components, and names of software that are giving you problems. Google also allows you to use many different special characters (called "operators") in searches to help you refine your searches. Here are some useful search operators:

• The "" Operator: Enclosing a phrase in quotes will force Google to match that phrase exactly in results.
• Example: 'yummy "Thai Food" is so good' will only return results with the exact phrase "Thai Food".
• The '+' Operator: Adding a "+" in front of a term forces Google to search for that word.
• Example- '+I want pizza' will search for the word "I," when normally Google would exclude it because it is so short.

For a much more comprehensive list of Google search operators, click here.