Some problems can't be fixed by reading a book, unfortunately. The most troublesome problems pop up only when a certain version of software tries to run on a specific model of computer containing a specific combination of hardware. Only a small handful of people will ever experience that particular problem in their lifetime.
That little fact doesn't make it any less frustrating when the problem occurs on your computer, though. So, in this chapter, I show how to find that small cluster of other people who have experienced your same problem, stumbled upon a solution, or posted the solution on the Internet.
This chapter explains how to arm yourself with the tools you need to extract those solutions from the gazillions of informational tidbits living throughout the Internet.
Without a doubt, the first stop when you're searching for solutions to computing problems should be Google, the best search engine on the Internet. As I write this, Google's search robots are scouring billions of pages across the Internet, indexing them word by word, and enabling you to search the results for free.
Google lets you locate information several different ways, and I describe the most effective methods in the following sections.
When I'm troubleshooting a computer problem, I always begin my search on Google (www.google.com), as shown in Figure 21-1. Google provides a quick and easy way to find just about any company's Web site, as well as Web sites dealing with particular types of computing problems.
Figure 21.1. Click the Google Search button to see Internet sites containing the words password, internet, and "error 623".
Google lets you search by specific words, exact phrases, or a combination of the two. The key to using Google is in knowing when to search by words or phrases.
Words: Search for specific words when you don't care where those words appear on a Web page. For instance, if you're having password problems when you connect to the Internet, you could type this:
password problem internet connect
Phrases: Search for phrases only when you want to see pages containing two words sitting next to each other, and not mixed in with other words. For example, if your password problem always brings up an error message that says Error 623, type this into the search box:
password internet "error 623"
By choosing the right combination of words and phrases in your search, you can make sure that Google knows exactly which pages to bring to your attention.
Tip
Now that you know how to properly question Google, here's how to use Google's different buttons and tabs:
Google offers two buttons: Google Search, and I'm Feeling Lucky. Clicking the Google Search button tells Google to display a list of Web sites that contain your search words or phrases. Clicking the I'm Feeling Lucky button immediately displays the Web site that most closely matches your search.
Use the Google Search button most of the time and visit the Web sites that it lists. By contrast, use the I'm Feeling Lucky button as a time-saver when you're confident that Google knows exactly what page you're looking for. Typing in Andy Rathbone and clicking the I'm Feeling Lucky button, for instance, immediately brings up my Web site:
www.andyrathbone.com.When you click the Google Search button, Google lists many Web sites containing your words, using a patented ranking method to place the most likely choices at the top of the list. Google offers searches in several other online areas, including Images, Video, Maps, News, Shopping, and Gmail, but it always searches for Web pages unless you click on one of those other areas.
Clicking the word Images before clicking the Google Search button tells Google to search for pictures. It's great for finding pictures of obscure CDs or albums. For instance, a Google Images search for "cities in fog" "jeff greinke" immediately displays several CD covers of that landmark release. Save the best image as a JPG file named folder.jpg, place it in the folder holding the album's files to see that photo on the folder's icon.
Although Pinpoint Google Searching would make a great band name, successful Google searching is also an art in its own right. Google is so good that it often brings thousands of pages to your attention. The trick is to find only the pages that solve your problem. Here are my favorite tips:
Search for specific error messages by placing the message in quotes. Error messages confuse everybody. Because messages look the same on every Windows computer, other frustrated people have probably already discussed that error message online. If you're lucky, one of them also posted a solution or workaround.
Make your first search as specific as possible, and then expand your search from there. For instance, type an error message exactly as you see it and put the message in quotation marks, like this: "Faulting application netdde.exe". If you get too many results, add some context, such as the name of the problematic program, or your version of Windows. Not enough results? Remove the quotes from the phrase, or search for the most confusing words in the error message.
Watch out for misspellings. Many people misspell when they post messages. Although Google's built-in spell checker kicks in if it can't find any answers to your query, it can't catch everything. Use quotes only on short phrases or specific error messages.
Add your Windows version to your search. Adding the word Vista, for instance, usually limits your search to Windows Vista issues. Similarly, adding the letters XP after a search limits your search to Windows XP problems. To search for Windows 7 problems, either include the numeral 7 or type "Windows 7" in quotes.
Search for the letters FAQ. FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions. Toss in this acronym along with the name of your problematic subject/product/part. You just might stumble upon a site that contains a FAQ dealing with your particular problem.
Sort your results by date. When Google displays results, it normally sorts them by relevance, with the most likely candidates near the top. To search for recent solutions, sort them by date: Click the words More Search Tools on the results page, and then choose whether to see results from the last 24 hours, three days, week, month, year, or a custom date range. Much of the Internet's computer information is already obsolete, so sorting by date ensures you're finding the newest information.
Tip
Think somebody e-mailed you the latest virus? Before opening the suspect e-mail, search Google for the exact words used in the e-mail's subject line. Then sort the results by date to see if people are already talking about it.
Don't give up too early. Keep rephrasing your search slightly, adding or subtracting a few words and changing your phrases. Give it five or ten minutes before giving up. Remember, you'll be spending much longer than ten minutes waiting for tech support staff to answer your phone call.
Many Web sites aren't organized very well, making it difficult to find your treasured solution. If the Web site isn't turning up the right information, tell Google to limit its search to that specific site rather than the entire Internet.
The key is to type the word site, a colon, the name of Web site you want to search, followed by the search term.
For example, to search my Web site for the words system image, you type this:
site:www.andyrathbone.com system image
Google immediately fetches any pages on my Web site mentioning those two words.
This trick works really well when searching large sites that have amassed a huge amount of information. As always with Google, you can put your search term in quotes to narrow down the results.
Manufacturers spend big bucks for people to staff the technical support lines. Unfortunately, these employees often don't know any more about computers than you do. Instead, the tech support departments work like telemarketing departments. A person listens to your description of the problem, types the symptoms into his PC, and reads back the scripted responses.
Sometimes this tactic helps, but it's expensive, both for your phone bill and for the company. And sometimes your questions still go unanswered. That's why an increasing number of companies pack as much technical support information as possible onto their own Web sites, helping users find answers as easily as possible.
Tip
When you visit a manufacturer's Web site, look for hyperlinks like FAQ, Technical Support, or Driver Downloads. The sites mentioned in the following sections offer much more in-depth help.
Shown in Figure 21-2, Microsoft's Support site (http://support.microsoft.com) contains a continually updated, indexed list of more than 250,000 articles created by Microsoft's support staff.
See the words Solution Centers in the menu along the top of Figure 21-2? The Solution Centers let you limit your search to any Microsoft product ever released, making it easy to isolate searches for specific products.
Figure 21.2. Microsoft's Support searches for solutions to problems with particular products, as well as specific error messages.
For example, follow these steps to search for a particular problem with Windows 7:
Visit Microsoft's Support site at
http://support.microsoft.com.Click Solution Centers from the main menu, and in the Quick Product Finder, type the name of your problematic Microsoft program.
In this case, you'd type Windows 7. (As you begin to type, a drop-down menu begins filling in the product's name; when you spot the name, click it to automatically fill out the box.)
Narrow down your search by choosing a topic from the left sidebar, and then keep selecting from the suggestions that appear on the right.
4. If you still haven't found an answer, try typing a few key words into the Search box at the page's top, next to the word Bing.
Tip
Here are a few tips for further exploring Microsoft's support site:
Microsoft's Support site can be quite versatile. Sometimes it offers to fine-tune your search by asking you questions, or letting you search within its displayed results. Other pages supply a general overview of the problem, and include links to other pages that provide specific solutions for specific problems.
If a techie gives you a "Knowledge Base number" for a solution, you can jump directly there by including it in the hyperlink. To jump to article number 887410, for example, type this into your browser's address bar:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/887410. Googling the term kb88741 will usually fetch the Knowledge Base article, as well.Although Microsoft's Web site only covers Microsoft products, it also contains information on how Microsoft's products interact with hardware and software from other manufacturers, viruses, and other potential problem causers. And, should Microsoft's support site point the finger at another company, you'll usually find a clickable link to shift your search to the other company's site.
Some manufacturers stamp a serial number or service tag on the invoice of every computer they sell. (Many place a sticker with the number onto the computer's case.) Then they create a custom-built Web page based around that particular computer: its motherboard chipset, expansion cards, CPU, and other hardware, as well as its bundled software.
Long after you've lost your computer's invoice and manuals, a quick trip to the manufacturer's Web site enables you to view everything that came with your computer, including part models and numbers, specific support information, warranty expiration information, driver downloads, and in some instances, upgrade information.
Dell and Gateway, among other computer makers, offer this service on their Web sites. If you're unlucky enough to have lost everything and scraped off your computer's serial number sticker, visit Dell or Gateway's site anyway. Both sites have technology that can peek inside your computer, grab its long-lost serial number, and fetch the customized Web site for you.
Most manufacturers sell their computers worldwide. And for some reason, some countries offer better support than others.
If a foreign site appears while you're searching, don't be afraid to give it a visit. If it turns up while you're searching in Google, use Google's Translate This Page button, if necessary, and Google offers to translate the site's language into one you can understand.
For some people, computers aren't just a way to get work done — they're a passion. I've compiled a list of sites to visit for information about their particular niche.
www.tomshardware.com
Although this site aims at a tech-savvy crowd, it's one of the best sites for up-to-date information on computer hardware. You can find the latest performance rankings on CPUs, motherboards, memory chips, video cards, hard drives, and other computer parts. Tom's site is chock-full of reviews, how-to articles, community forums, and techie news.
Even though it's written mainly for techies, Tom keeps the site surprisingly easy to understand. On charts and tables, for example, the site kindly explains things like "Bigger numbers mean better performance."
Tip
When you're ready to buy a computer part, especially a graphics card or hard drive, choose Charts from the menu. That fetches the Performance Charts, making it easy for you to choose the right balance between bang and buck.
An editable online encyclopedia created by visitors, Wikipedia offers a wealth of information on all subjects, including technology. It doesn't offer help for specific questions, but the site gives you general background on computer parts and technologies, making for more informed shopping.
Since Wikipedia can be edited by anyone who visits, don't take it as an authoritative source. Instead, use it as a branching-off point for finding further information.
www.acronymfinder.com
No one understands everything about computers, so don't be depressed if you spot YACA (Yet Another Computer Acronym) that you don't understand. Instead, head to the Acronym Finder site, type in the mystifying initials, and see the definition.
Although the site works well for technology-oriented items, it provides definitions for acronyms from many other areas, as well. GL2U.
I've mentioned NewEgg several times in this book, as it's a great source for buying computer parts. But it's also a way to find community support once you've bought that item. If a particular part is acting up, head for its purchase page on NewEgg, and click the User Reviews area. There, you'll find posts by people who've already purchased that part.
Many times, you'll find just the right tweaking tips to bring the part back to life, or crank it up to its full performance.
Like NewEgg, Amazon sells a wide variety of computer parts. It also offers customer reviews. Even if you're buying a product from a competing retailer, drop by Amazon to read the customer reviews. After all, these customers have already held the product in their hands and used it. Their opinions can give one product an edge over another.