Almost everyone who uses a computer needs the occasional assistance from a computer technician. Because not everybody is a computer expert, they may often find themselves unable to fix their computer problems. If you are new to computer maintenance; it can be a headache having to deal
with an unresponsive, slow or non-working computer. The purpose of this article is to give a few helpful tips on how you can learn to fix some of the most common computer problems yourself, without having to rely on outside help, which can sometimes cost you money. Although it won't be a guide for actually fixing any specific problems; it will share with you some resources you can use to teach yourself how to fix them.
The problems with the simplest solutions are often software related. If you're having problems with your computer's hardware, these suggestion may not be as helpful. More often than not, computer issues revolve around your operating system (Windows, Mac etc.) This article mostly refers to these sorts of problems such as; your computer being unable to boot up, your hard drive crashing or your computer not recognizing a driver.
The most important resources available to you are right here on the Internet. It's good to keep a list of web sites dedicated to troubleshooting and problem solving, lists of tech forums, FAQs and so on. You can find free instructions to help you solve almost any software related problem you run into and you can find them online. It's important to remember that you don't necessarily have to be a computer expert in order to keep your computer running the way it should be.
Like many things on the Internet; Google is one of your best friends. Most of the best tech forums I have found have been through Google. Here are a few websites that I still stand by:
http://www.Download.com
http://www.Thefreewareforum.com
http://www.Tech-forums.net
http://www.Computing.net
http://www.Newuserhelp.com
All of these sites are free, and many knowledgeable people browse the forums frequently. Always run your problems by these people first, as it's probably something that they've dealt with before.
There are also free programs that cover a lot of specific issues that many people have, such as; backing up important files, permanently deleting files and folders, recovery of lost passwords, recovering files that may have become corrupt or damaged or files that you may have deleted by
accident.
If you are one of the many people, that has basic computer knowledge, but are by no means an expert, you should make use of as many of these programs as you can. Ask around about essential software that prevents many common problems before they start. Tools such as registry cleaners, recovery tools, password storage or tools for partition recovery are just a few examples. The important thing is that they're free and a little digging can get you some really helpful freeware that doesn't take a computer programmer to operate.
Even learning to understand some of the basic workings of a computer is something that's becoming harder and harder to do. With each new Operating System comes hundreds of new questions that weren't there before. This can be overwhelming and it will surely take some quality time spent reading as much as you can about the amazing way that computers work. Hopefully in the meantime you find as many free programs and people willing to help as you need to quickly get you up to speed on maintaining your computer. That's the most important step. I hope this sheds a little light on how simple it can be to understand your computer, so long as you know the right resources and keep an open mind.