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Nerdy Help

Every personal computer user from novice to advanced occasionally needs help. Whether it’s finding your way around new software or fixing a serious bug there’s a wealth of resources available, if you know where to look. If you’ve upgraded your computer to a new machine and are finding your way around a new operating system check out the computer manufacturer’s website for information on your particular model of machine.

From there you can usually search for the model number and if there’s one available, download a manual in either Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. Personal computer manufacturer’s like HP regularly update the software and device drivers for their machines, particularly the proprietary software and drivers which carry their name so it’s worth keeping an eye on such websites.

Save me

Need A Nerd recommends saving such information to a dedicated folder on your hard disk drive and when you’re done and up to date copying the lot to a CD, DVD or USB drive for safe keeping. If you’re new machine boasts an operation system you are unfamiliar visit www.support.microsoft.com from where you can search for answers to your questions. The same website offers support, including help articles, for various versions of Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer.

If Microsoft’s support website can’t help you try typing your problem into a search engine like Bing or Google but be wary of solutions that include downloading software from a third party’s website. It probably contains malware (malicious software) and will cause you more harm than good. You may also find informative videos on video sharing websites like YouTube.

Press for help

Microsoft Press publishes a range of very good books that complement its software but be sure to browse before you buy as they come at novice, intermediate and advanced levels. If you’re not sure try browsing a sample of the book on websites like www.amazon.com and see what others say about the title in accompanying reviews. Finding something appropriate to your level of computer knowledge should be easy. Microsoft’s Windows Magazine is also packed with lots of “how to” style articles.

Wiley Publishing’s “For Dummies” range includes books on software like Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2010, as well as hardware, troubleshooting and maintaining Your PC. If you need help with other software check the software’s installation disk for a manual saved in either Microsoft Word of PDF format. Once you’ve found it copy it to your hard drive and if you think you will refer to it enough, print it out.

If you have no luck finding such a file check the manufacturer’s website and look for a link to your particular version of the software. As well as manuals you may find patches which fix vulnerabilities in the version of the software you are running on your machine.

While the methods mentioned above should help you find your way around a new machine, if your problem is mechanical be sure to take it back to the place where you bought it or if it’s out of warranty, contact a qualified IT technician.