Use the Web to Find Free Tech Support

No matter how long you've been working with technology, you'll inevitably run across a problem that leaves you totally stumped, be it a computer that keeps crashing or a nasty virus that evades all attempts at elimination.

Before you spend money on a lengthy tech-support call or pay a high-priced consultant to straighten out the mess, you may want to consider exploring free online tech support options. Free online resources — including discussion boards, tutorials, how-to articles, and official product-support Web sites — can be instrumental in helping you fix technology problems so your staff and volunteers can get back to doing the work that really counts. Below, we've listed some resources to get you started.

General Tech Support Sites

The sites listed below offer a variety of tools for solving both hardware and software problems, including message boards, articles, and even expert answers to your specific questions. The sites listed below offer a variety of tools for solving both hardware and software problems, including message boards, articles, and even expert answers to your specific questions. And remember to check out TechSoup's own Learning Center, which features a large library of technology articles, as well as our Community discussion forums

• Computing.net
  Computing.net provides a number of troubleshooting resources, including forums organized by general subject matter (like Windows XP) as well as more specific topics (such as Web development). In addition, the site features frequently asked questions (FAQs) and a number of how-to articles.
• Cyberwalker columns
  Maintained by technology journalist Andy Walker, Cyberwalker's library of articles and how-to's cover diverse topics ranging from setting up a dual-boot system, to upgrading a computer's RAM, to selecting the right sound card. However, some of the articles — such as Upgrading to Windows 98 — may be too outdated to be useful to organizations with newer equipment.
• 5 Star Support
  With a staff of more than 1,500 volunteer techies, 5 Star Support offers free tech support with a personal touch to individuals and organizations. Simply fill out a form detailing your problem, and 5 Star Support volunteers will do their best to respond within 24 hours (though the site can't guarantee a response for every question). If you want to try to resolve the problem yourself, consult Five Star's Troubleshooting FAQ or tutorials (both located on the left navigation bar), which offer advice on subjects such as avoiding email threats and resolving OS glitches.
• Google Computer Tech Support Group
  With more than 500 members, Google's Computer Tech Support Group acts as a devoted place where people can seek support and advice for any kind of technology problems they might encounter. Use the search bar at the top of the page to look for more specific topics; or, perform an Advanced Search to find topics by date, by group, or by author.
• Smart Computing Articles
  Smart Computing's library of tech-assistance articles covers a wide variety of subjects, from troubleshooting a temperamental version of Excel to replacing a faulty motherboard. Simply choose an article type (for example, tutorials), select your area of interest, and click Search to find all articles that match your criteria.
• TechRecipe.com Tutorials
  This site's tutorials — most of which have been submitted by its community of users — cover relatively simple subjects, such as using Word's proofreading features, as well as more complex ones, like recovering passwords on Cisco switches. Similar to many other tech-support sites, TechRecipe also hosts a number of discussion forums.
• Tech Support Forum
  Unlike some technology forums, Tech Support Forum's 40-plus discussion boards are organized by highly specific areas of interest. The site's more than 100,000 visitors come to the site to chat about and get help with their various computer problems. For instance, the Hardware section features dedicated forums for video cards, printers, and modems, while the Networking category offers separate boards for file-sharing and firewalls.
• Yahoo Answers
  If you're having trouble finding a solution to your nonprofit's latest technical dilemma, try your luck at Yahoo Answers, which is somewhat like a traditonal discussion board. However, Yahoo's service lets the community vote on the best answer to any given question and awards points to users who rate an answer or pen the best reply, thereby increasing your chances of getting useful information. Before you post your own technology questions in Yahoo's forums, try searching the Computers and Internet category to see if other users have already provided the answer.

Hardware Support Sites

These support sites provide articles, guides, and discussion forums dealing with all sorts of hardware issues. Of course, if you have a problem with a specific piece of hardware, the best place to begin your search for help is the vendor's official site. To get you started, we've provided links to a few popular manufacturers' support pages.

• Official Apple Hardware Support
  Organizations that use Macintosh computers instead of PCs will find a number of helpful problem-solving resources at Apple's official hardware support site, including troubleshooting guides, how-to articles, product manuals, and discussion boards.
• Official Cisco Support
  Cisco's Technical Support and Documentation section contains not only official product documentation for the company's switches, routers, and other hardware, but also offers troubleshooting articles, guides to error messages, and configuration instructions. You'll have to register before you can access much of the site's content.
• Help-Site's Computer Hardware Links
  Many nonprofit organizations use a hodgepodge of hardware from a number of different manufacturers, which can make tracking down official product documentation a time-consuming chore. Help-Site makes this task a little easier by consolidating links to official product manuals and guides; simply choose a category such as PCs or Printers, then select the manufacturer's name, product line, and specific model. Documentation is somewhat limited, but the manuals and information they do have is comprehensive. This site is ideal for those with older hardware, as some newer hardware isn't listed on this site.

Software and Operating Systems Support Sites

Solving software problems doesn't have to mean hours of banging your head against a desk. By visiting one of the sites below, you can find help based on the software application or operating system. Again, a vendor's official support pages are always the best place to start your searc (links for a few prominent manufacturers can be found below) .

• Official Adobe Software Support
  If your organization uses Adobe design software such as Photoshop or Creative Suite, the company's official support page is one of the best places to go when you need advice. Besides the ability to search a knowledge base by product and keyword, Adobe's online tech-support options include product-specific tips and tutorials; discussion forums; and manuals and documentation in the Technical support for products section. Plus, many products have their own support centers with documentation, FAQs, and forum links.
• Official Apple OS and Software Support
  Like its aforementioned hardware-support site, Apple's official software support site provides articles, product manuals, and discussion forums related to all versions of its operating systems, as well as for other software products such as Final Cut Pro and iTunes. Or, use the drop-down menu on the right side of the page to find a specific software application.
• Official Microsoft OS and Software Support
  Nonprofits that are running one of Microsoft's operating systems or ubiquitous software packages, such as Office, will find a variety of support options at the company's official site. Microsoft's Product Solution Center organizes its products by category and offers how-to and troubleshooting articles for each individual software package. In addition to a searchable knowledge base, Microsoft also provides help at its Technical Communities page, which features resources such as blogs, forums, and chats.
• The Linux Documentation Project
  The Linux Documentation Project's large library of how-to articles covers subjects such as installing a particular distribution, while its in-depth guides tackle topics ranging from how to secure a Linux OS or building your own distribution from scratch (though some of the older guides aren't regularly maintained). However, you might want to start at the site's FAQ section ; there's a good chance it will contain the information you need to solve your nonprofit's Linux problem.
• Linux Forums
  With more than 70,000 members, Linux Forums' discussion boards cover just about every aspect of the open-source operating system. Here, you'll find dedicated forums for distributions such as Red Hat, Debian, and Ubuntu, as well as those specifically aimed at newbies. Linux Forums also has a collection of how-to articles that may help you resolve problems you might encounter.
• Official Symantec Support Page
  Symantec's site provides troubleshooting tools and resources for its personal as well as its enterprise line of security products. Symantec's Solutions Library contains a list of tips and tutorials that address common problems with a particular product, while its AutoFix Tool (Internet Explorer required) can quickly correct issues with any of its software products. And if you want to make sure that your organization's computers aren't vulnerable to online threats, Symantec's free online spyware and virus scanner can alert you to potential security holes.

Before you pay for technical support or wait for hours on hold, take some time to explore the many free online resources at your disposal. You never know; the solution to that technology predicament might be just a few clicks away.