We have been considering bringing back the computer help forum here at PC911. You have surely noticed the complete redesign we have recently completed and we are thinking a forum would be a nice addition.

There will also be a paid computer support option available to everyone very soon. You’ll be able to purchase blocks of time with one of our certified technicians to help you fix your problem. Plus you will get several great bonuses only available from PC911.

Watch for more information soon!

With all my ranting on computer maintenance you would think one might achieve what others call “trouble free” computing…not a chance.

By no means am I saying that you cannot achieve at least a better computing experience, but “trouble free”?

First lets think about this. I have heard and I quote “Computers don’t make mistakes..its the user that makes em!”. Ok I gotta say this and I hope someone is listening. Computers are a great piece of technology, but remember the internal workings such as hardware and software are completely designed by a human animal. So wouldn’t that make them as fallible as the people who design them?

Honestly…computers are only as infallible as the engineer who designs the components or software.

Don’t give up hope though. You can make your experience at least a more pleasant one. Although reaching for an unattainable goal will simply frustrate you. The best tool you can have is knowledge.

Knowledge of your system and software. Use the tools provided by the pc or software manufacturer to help maintain a healthy system. Most hardware and software manufacturers incorporate an extensive knowledge base as well as update services to help you maintain your pc functionality.

Believe me… Any error you have experienced while using resources the manufacturer has already encountered in testing. It’s as
easy as searching a knowledge base or creating a trouble ticket in their support system.

I know…I know: Its alot to read and most of it can be extremely confusing. Just remember when trouble shooting there are a few key things to note in your search: What version of Windows are you using? What is the EXACT error you are experiencing? When is this error occuring? If it occurs in a particular software title then what version is that software title?

You cannot go wrong in your search for an answer to a particular issue if you have this information.

These details will help you point to a specific answer in a knowledgebase. Just as there are many causes to one particular problem there are just as many fixes for that problem. So when you get frustrated while trying to fix an issue…before you take it out on your tech support remember that.

Tech support is troubleshooting, and I assure you they are just as eager to remedy your issue as you are.

SO remember: In your search for “trouble free” computing, functionality may get better, it will never be totally problem free.

Learn how to use your computer like a professional with our computer training DVDs.
Over 50 hours of computer training videos

Have you ever been plagued with error messages after performing a Windows update? Remember when you receive updates from Microsoft most of the updates do pertain to known security issues. Just because these updates can fix known issue doesnt mean they will not cause other problems.

The biggest issue with using the updates feature is using the web updater. As we know you can have many communication issues while connected to the internet. These issues can cause installation problems in the files you are attempting to download. If available the safest way to install updates is to obtain the full installers rather than using the web update feature. Although Microsoft does not provide full installers for all updates they do for some.

Some of the most common problems you can experience are with updates to Internet Explorer, Outlook Express and Windows media player. Remember you always have the ability to revert back to a previous state by uninstalling service packs or updates. Although this does not always cure the issue as usually when you install the damage has been done by the installer and damage will still reside in the registry it is recommended to try reverting.

One thing to remember though, just because it comes from Microsoft it does not mean it is fool proof.

I always recommend backing up any valuable data and backing up the Windows registry before attempting any update. This is a good practice even when installing new programs. I know….I know this is very time consuming, but remember you could end up spending days trying to restore your system and data from a crash. As well you may recover your system without a back up but you will not always recover your data without one.

Anytime you are updating your operating system or system software be sure to read any available documentation on procedures before attempting the update.

I hope this may help save you some time with future computing.

Patrick
PC911

The new design is live on the PC 911 site now. We have removed a lot of the old clutter that made the site hard to use and navigate. Now you sift through all the great content here a lot easier. We are working on a computer help center for everyone to come and get free computer help.

Let us know what you think about the new design below by leaving us a comment. Have a great day!

Shawn

The PC911 web site was founded in January of 1999 by Alex “crazygerman” Byron. The site was inspired by many, many questions about Windows and PCs being asked over and over again by friends, offline as well as online. The goal was to write up the answers in form of easy to understand how-to articles and organize them for easy access.

Soon a team started to form as several computer users who were already helping others in some form online joined forces with PC911. Their combined efforts helped making this site what it is now with their great combined knowledge, skills and selfless attitude. They deserve a big round of applause and a big pat on the back for their invaluable contributions.

In the summer of ‘99 MaximumPC took on PC911 as an affiliate which gave the site’s traffic a big boost and grew our audience by leaps and bounds. I am very grateful for this opportunity and want to express my thanx to Ed Homich, the MaximumPC producer at the time, and the rest of the MaximumPC crew for their support and having faith in this site.

The site reached a milestone with the site in August of 2000 when it had its first month with over 1,000,000 page views. Somehow the site just keeps growing like a weed and over time turned into the beast it is now.

The main goal is to give computer users around the world a place to find out more about computers in an easy to understand, non-intimidating environment, and help to make their computing experience a happy and safe one. The motto is: PC911 - Friendly Expert Computer Help in Plain English.

One particular quality that makes this site stand out is that the articles are written in plain simple English, not geek speak, to make it easier for the average user to understand them. If there are technical terms used sometimes, it is because it is a very common term a reader should be familiar with. If the term is unfamiliar, Webopedia is a great resource for explanations for the most common computer terms.

In September of 2002 the site underwent some changes. After almost 4 years, the toll the site had taken on my life, marriage, career, and free time was getting too much, and I decided to reduce the site by eliminating some of the less useful features, automating some areas, and closing the forum section. However, the forum community continues to thrive at http://www.pcqanda.com.

Contributors

Our immense gratitude goes out to all the team members that contributed to this site over the years and helped make the site what it is now. Alex, Al, Shelly, Grogan, Steve Yandl, ChrisP, MrMan, Jan, Marti, DaLanTech, Scotterpops - you guys rock!

Additional thanx go to a few other acknowledged gurus that wrote “guest” articles for PC911 like Xin Li, Zenwolf, and others, as well as many others who contributed to the site in form of reviews, tips, suggestions, corrections, etc.

Features

The How-To Guides are tutorials in plain English that are designed to help you understand things that you might not be familiar with and have hesitated to start, and walk you through the process.

The Review section has a collection of reviews about computer products, either written by PC911, or contributed by other PC911 readers.

The Downloads section is a great collection of freeware programs from all over the world, unearthed, tested, and approved, for you to enjoy.

Click on Best Prices to conveniently find the best prices online for anything computer related. This incredibly easy search engine lets you browse for the best prices online, gives you many details about the product, provides ratings of the online vendor to ensure you order from a reliable source, and even figures out the shipping cost. It doesn’t get much better than this.

The Tips & Tweaks section contains hundreds of neat little tips, tweaks, and scripts that help you do things faster or better in Windows and MS Office.

In the Links section you’ll find links to other great computer related sites as well as manufacturer’s web sites in case you ever need to contact them or obtain a driver or manual.

If you have a hard time finding something, you can also search this site by keyword.

See what others say about this site

So far, we have received nothing but positive feedback about this site, and plenty of it. To see what awards we’ve received so far and what great comments some of our readers have sent us, check out our Awards and Feedback page.

Your Input

Hopefully you enjoy your visit to this site and find it helpful. If you find something to be unclear, too complicated, missing, wrong, or if you would like to see a topic added, if you have a suggestion for an article, please send us an e-mail and let me know what can be done better. Any constructive input that will help to improve this site and make it more valuable to you is appreciated.

Enough said. Use the menu on the left to start learning more about Windows, the Internet and your PC.

Enjoy!

PC911