Save Money By D-I-Y
A long time ago now I wrote an article that reminded my readers that Windows comes with built-in methods to help you solve "issues" and fix your own computer -- see, Windows’ built-in Help Desk.
The article shows you how to take advantage of that button on your Start menu labeled "Help and Support".
The vast majority of computer users never have clicked on this built-in troubleshooting tool.. or did so back in the Windows 95/98 days, and they didn't find it very useful.
But I'd like to tell you that Microsoft has been slowly but surely modernizing this this tool and I highly advise you to click the link (above) and see my description of it. Many improvements have been made (including integration with online resources) and I can now say that the Help and Support button should be the first thing you click on when you experience a hardware or software "glitch".
Help and Support walks you through the basic troubleshooting steps (the same preliminaries I would have you try), and if you make it through the wizards without resolving your issue -- you have the option to access the "next level", online knowledge libraries.
In their effort to make Microsoft Support even more "novice friendly", there are now several "one click" buttons to be found on the solutions pages.
There is also a Microsoft Fix it Solution Center which presents a method of finding these buttons by category.
While these improvements do cut into a support tech's bottom line, I do think you should be aware this valuable resource. I'm still available for the really tricky troubles.. and when you call (if you've tried the Help and Support button) you can save money because we won't have to run through those ABC steps again!
[A note to admins: If you don't want your users downloading .reg files.. you may want to block this URL..]
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