Troubleshooting
Resources
The web is full of information
sources on computers, but frankly, not all of them are that great.
To help you wade through the morass of choices, I've put together
my picks for some of the most informative computer sites I've
seen. You can start by checking out the Troubleshooting
Guide available right here on EverythingComputers.com,
which covers both PC- and Mac-related problems.
All of the sites listed on this
page contain either answers to common computer problems or useful
information about how different aspects of computers work--some
even have both.
Knowledge is truly power when it
comes to computers, so you may find that simply finding out how
something really works can go a long way towards solving problems
on your own. Good luck.
PC Hardware
This site is a tremendous trove of
information with well-written explanations of PC technology,
thorough troubleshooting procedures and step-by-step instructions
for common PC updates and upgrades.
One of the Web's truly
useful treasures, this site has tons of great information about
PCs, CPUs, and virtually any kind of hardware you need to deal
with. It's in desperate need of a good editor, but there's lots of
good stuff.
Another really useful site
with lots of great original material as well as links to other
really good stuff all over the 'net.
If you have any questions
about your computer's BIOS or its BIOS Setup program, this site is
the definitive resource.
PC Operating Systems
A complete reference list of very well put-together online
resources that cover Windows 2000, XP, Office as well as general
topics such as Networking, Security and so on. This page serves as
the starting point to dive into any one of these topics at as deep
a level as you could ever want to go. A goldmine of tech support
info.
Straight from the source, this Microsoft TechNet site offers an
amazing wealth of practical articles on how to do (and solve) all
kinds of things under XP. If you use XP, you have to check this
out.
A wonderful find, this site features an extensive collection of
original support articles, links to other support sites, freeware
utilities, registry patches and a great Shutdown
Troubleshooter that's worth a visit in and of
itself.
If you're trying to figure out Windows Resources really are and
what all those programs running in the background of your PC
really are and what they do, then you need to check this site
out.
This is another great site that has tips on getting around
Windows startup problems and an even more extensive list of programs
that run in the background.
A great site that offers lots of very well-written "How-To"
guides as well as links to many other excellent troubleshooting
resources on the web. Good stuff.
This site offers many well-written articles explaining some
common but confusing Windows-related issues. The articles not only
explain why the problem is happening, they also tell you how to
fix them.
Ever been annoyed by some aspect
of Windows 95 or 98? (Who hasn't?!) These cleverly named sites
offer workarounds to lots of common and not-so-common problems.
They've also got a special
link to download TweakUI for Windows 98.
This slick, online magazine
includes lots of useful tips and tutorials for Windows 95/98/2000
and NT users.
Ever wondered about new
features included in Windows 95B, such as FAT32? This site has
tons of great info on the subject, including directions on how to
upgrade older versions of Windows 95 to
OSR2.
A great collection of tips
for Win95, 98 and NT put together by PC/Computing each year. I
edited the 1995 version while working there.
If you're running NT at
home or at work, you'll want to look through this site's news,
software and tips.
PC Software
A simple, straightforward site with the critical information
you need on moving your Outlook Express 4 and 5 files between
different computer as well as answers to other common
questions.
PC Drivers
You'll find lots of drivers here,
as well as interesting news about all the various flavors of
Windows.
You'll find a growing collection of drivers here, as well as
some useful troubleshooting tips for driver-related
problems.
Looking for a driver for an old add-in card? Or maybe the
latest version for several new cards? This is great resource, with
lots of drivers that you can download for free.
Can't figure out who made a particular component in your PC?
Just find the FCC ID number, type it into this database and you'll
get the company's name and contact information.
Home Networking
This site includes product reviews, tutorials and more on the
burgeoning home networking/high-speed Internet access sharing
market.
A subsection of Microsoft's support site, this page and its
related links has everything you'd ever want to know about the ICS
features built into Windows 98 2nd Edition, Windows Millenium and
Windows 2000.
If you want info about DSL products and services, as well as
advice on how to best take advantage of your DSL line, this site
is a great resource.
If, instead, cable modem is your access means of choice, here's
an equally useful site.
If you've had to deal with the dreaded PPP over Ethernet
protocol through your DSL or cable modem service, you'll be
pleased to read this page's how-to articles and
FAQs.
Trying to make sense of Network Address Translation and other
shared Internet connection technologies? This explanatory page
from VicomSoft's web site is bound to help.
If you need explanations of some
more complex networking concepts, you'll find good information and
good links here.
While this page sits on the
LinkSys site and has some hype about their products, it's also got
lots of articles that offer a great introduction to networking
issues.
General Info
- PC Webopedia
A very thorough, accurate
online computer dictionary that not only offers well-written
definitions of common (and not-so-common) technology-related
terms, but also provides useful links related to the words you
look up.
- File
Extensions
Ever try to figure out a
file's type by looking at its three dot extension? If so, this
site is for you. It's got a comprehensive listing of extensions
with a brief description of what the different types of files
are.
- BugNet
If you're trying to find
out whether an annoying problem you keep running into is really a
bug in one of your programs (or even your hardware), then this is
the place to go. These folks keep track of and report on all kinds
of different bugs. Note that some of the info they provide is free
while other portions require a paid
subscription.
Graphics
Interesting articles about
typography and other design issues, as well as lots of free fonts
and other goodies make this a winner.
Wayne Fulton's guide to
scanning offers great advice on how to buy and use scanners. Be
sure to check out his very useful scanning tips
articles. |
Macintosh
Apple's online tech support includes thousands of articles on
common (and specific) Mac problems, as well as general
troubleshooting advice and other technical info. Note that you
need to setup an account to get in.
I had the pleasure of
working with Ric Ford during my tenure as Reviews Editor at
MacWeek and his site is the resource for technical tips
on the Mac.
A tremendous site for Mac
users with lots of specific information on Mac OS and application
bugs and other problems. The Reports page, in particular, has lots
of troubleshooting info.
Not sure if you got the
latest version of your Mac software? You'll find out
here.
A very straightforward, easy-to-read site that takes you
through the process of creating a home network with both Macs and
PCs.
Learn lots of tricks about
various options for running Windows apps on your Mac as well
networking Macs and PCs on this very useful cross-platform
site.
Microsoft Knowledge Base Articles
Microsoft's Knowledge Base is a wonderful information
resource, but it's so big that it's hard to find the really good
stuff. In an effort to make it a bit more approachable, I've put
together some links directly to articles within the Knowledge Base
I think are particularly useful.
This is a master page that offers links to several different
categories which, in turn, link to lots of individual articles
that explain how to do common tasks within Windows 95 and Windows
98.
Got a question about something in Windows 95 or Windows 98?
There's a good chance that this master page of links will
eventually lead to what you're looking for.
Not only does this article deal with what the title says, it
also offers excellent background information on why some of these
problems occur.
If you need more startup information help for any version of
Windows 98, this is a great resource article.
Messing with your Windows 95/98 Registry may not be for the
faint of heart, but if you need to dig in, here's an article that
can get you started.
Most all hardware problems generally relate back to the Device
Manager. This articles includes basic tips for the Device Manager
in Windows 95, 98, ME and 2000.
If you've had strange messages while booting or other types of
startup problems, you'll want to get familiar with Safe
Mode.
I don't know about you, but I've certainly run into my share of
Kernel32.dll errors. Here's a long article that explains how to
try and stop them.
Though this article is primarily intended to solve problems
with games and other multimedia titles that won't run under Safe
Mode, it's also a great general reference on the Windows 95 Boot
process and how to solve startup problems.
As the name implies, this article includes info on how to solve
recurring problems that happen when you try to shut down your
computer.
This article offers a number of handy tips that can get you
through a difficult startup problem with your PC.
This little-known utility program lets you back up and restore
all your critical system files.
If you ever need to reinstall just a single file or small
number of files off the Windows CD, you'll need to learn how to
find and uncompress them. This article tells you how for Windows
95, 98 and ME.
Network-related problems can be a real bear to solve, but this
page offers lots of useful insights on how to deal with
them. |