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.
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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.
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