What To Do Before You Call Tech Support About Your Computer
You may think that they lied to you when they said that computers are easy to use. A computer is a complex device. Anything can and does go wrong. The tech-support people know this, and they brace themselves for anything. Callers range from the timid beginner who still has the computer in the box to the hacker whose computer has been utterly disassembled and desoldered. You can make the job of a tech-support person so much easier by doing a little research before you call. Let us examine how.
Find out who owns the problem and narrow things down. Is it hardware or software? That way, you can call the proper place. Try as many solutions yourself as possible. Tech-support people will be absolutely amazed if you have already checked the Device Manager or worked in the System Configuration Utility. Believe it or not, they might ask you to look there once again. If this were to occur, have a little patience and realize that they are most likely going by a scripted check list which they are required by their employer to do before moving on to the next level.
Determine whether the problem is repeatable. Be prepared to demonstrate to tech support that the bug is not random and can be reproduced. Be prepared to give lots of information, so do your homework before you call. Review and accomplish any steps in the troubleshooting section of your operator manual and collect as much information from that experience as you possibly can. Just make sure not to spit it all out in one sentence to the tech-support person as they will need to become acquainted with your situation and it will take a little time for them to catch up. But do have the info ready when it is asked of you.
Just remember that it pays to know which number to call. This is something that can be frustrating. The tech-support number is typically hidden somewhere in the manual. Sometimes, it is right up front or in a tech-support index. But most often it is in a not so obvious place.
When you do find the tech-support number, mark it and highlight it. Better yetl, write it in the front of the manual. It is always a good idea to add it to your address book. You might even want to spray-paint it on the wall in your office or something. Just remember what you did with it.
One important piece of information to relate to tech support is which version of Windows you have. It also helps to know the version of any application or utility that you figure is causing the problem. To find out the Windows version, open the System icon in the Control Panel: From the Control Panel Home, choose System and Maintenance and then System. From the Control Panel Classic view, open the System icon. Or, right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop, and choose Properties from the pop-up menu. From the System window you can get basic information about your computer.
Also in the System window you will discover lots of other useful info for tech support, such as data about your computer processor and memory along with other trivia. You do not have to cough up all the information displayed in the System window. Offer only what the tech-support person asks for.
Realize that Windows may not be the issue with your PC. It could be another piece of software that you are running. In such an instance, you might have to provide the tech-support person the version of that particular program. This data is not quite the same as the version number for Windows as every piece of software has its own version number. To find out the version of any specific application, choose the Help About command. The About command is usually followed by the program name. That command displays a dialog box with the program full name, release, and version information. And you could be lucky enough to find a quick button to click for connecting to tech support.
Filed under: Computers & Technology