Computer help sites

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

When you have a compute problem what is the most successful help web site you have found?

[John Miliunas]

When you have a compute problem what is the most successful help web site you have found?

Don, I'm not trying to just "shrug" off your question, but I usually do a "Google" search on particular problems. If you use it enough, you learn how and which key words to input for the search and that narrows it down pretty quickly. Fact is, I've gone directly to the Microsoft site and made inquiries on their search engine, only to come up empty. I'll "copy/paste" the exact same inquiry into the Google search and it will often take me directly to a *Microsoft* knowledgebase article! In other words, Google does a better job of searching MS than MS does! Anyhow, that's typically what I use and have prety decent luck with it. Otherwise, I've yet to come across a site which has *all* the answers. Sorry if this wasn't much help... :cool:

[Chuck Wintle]

It depends the type of problem encountered.
I like www.motherboards.org for hardware related issues and Microsoft has a good newsgroup/forum for any Windows questions.

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

Thanks for the response., John. I have tried Google, but I guess I don't get the right combination of key words. I have found my searches to be pretty iffy. As for the Microsoft help section, I have found that the elementary questions are answered promptly, but the more esoteric questions fall down the list so rapidly they are rarely answered. My questions are usually esoteric or stupid, I guess.

[Mike Cutler]

Don. I like www.annoyances.org for problems. It is broken out into seperate forums for each different operating system. There are literally thousands of pages of searchable threads available. Give it a whirl. My .02 on the subject

[Bud North NJ]

Don, you might want to try this site for any problems you're having.
Seems to cover just about everything.
http://forums.techguy.org/index.php?s=

[Michael Cody]

Don, I'm not trying to just "shrug" off your question, but I usually do a "Google" search on particular problems. If you use it enough, you learn how and which key words to input for the search and that narrows it down pretty quickly. Fact is, I've gone directly to the Microsoft site and made inquiries on their search engine, only to come up empty. I'll "copy/paste" the exact same inquiry into the Google search and it will often take me directly to a *Microsoft* knowledgebase article! In other words, Google does a better job of searching MS than MS does! Anyhow, that's typically what I use and have prety decent luck with it. Otherwise, I've yet to come across a site which has *all* the answers. Sorry if this wasn't much help... :cool:

I use google too but I often do my search in the Groups section to search NewsGroup... Since Google bought DejaNews the groups section has tons of info and the search engine is outstanding. You will often find folks with the exact same or very similar problem. Very often you will find answers with hotlinks to support documents,etc... it's pretty reliable.

I've been turning more and more to this as a resource. Since I do computer support for a living I work through lots of resources but Google is always my first go to site.

[Aaron Koehl]

When you have a compute problem what is the most successful help web site you have found?
Why, the SawmillCreek Off-Topic Forum, of course! :)

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

Of course, Aaron, but I hate to wear the SMC folks out with my stupid problems. It always seems that my problems are not the run of the mill type. I can usually solve the more common problems, but I seem to have more than my share of problems which require pretty in depth knowledge of machines and software.

[Mike Kelly]

Of course, Aaron, but I hate to wear the SMC folks out with my stupid problems. It always seems that my problems are not the run of the mill type. I can usually solve the more common problems, but I seem to have more than my share of problems which require pretty in depth knowledge of machines and software.

What kind of computer problem do you have Don? Some of these guys are pretty smart and might be able to help or refer you to the right source. Keith and a few others have had their fair share of Corel problems and reproduction problems.

If it is a OS problem, Micorsoft has a good email response that can resolve most issues, maybe after several responses, but they narrow in on it and get to the root cause within a few days.