Top Free Computer Troubleshooting Tutorials on the Web
Computer repair rates are expensive and support from your computer’s manufacturer is slow to respond and expensive if your computer is no longer covered by a warranty. Truthfully, many of the computer problems people pay hundreds of dollars to troubleshoot are fixed with just a few clicks of the mouse.
Computer repair is a huge industry mainly because most computer users lack the training or confidence to attempt the troubleshooting and fixing of their own computer. Today, there are literally thousands of free Internet resources to walk you through your computer troubles. Read on to learn about the top 5 free online computer-troubleshooting tutorials and where to find them.
#1 – BleepingComputer.com
BleepingComputer is a community of novice and expert computer users who post questions, answers, and tutorials about everything computer. By joining the community for free, you have access to everything the site has to offer including detailed tutorials, discussions on computer hardware and software, and even a computer glossary for those times when the computer acronyms and abbreviations are just too confusing.
One of the best features about Bleeping Computer is that it is community driven. It is not some manufacturer of hardware and software that has put up an advertisement in the guise of an organic online community. These are real people with real problems who need real answers.
#2 – Microsoft Knowledge Base at Microsoft Support
About 90% of the home computers in the world run some version of Microsoft Windows making Windows the most successful software title in computing history. In addition, Microsoft’s Office product line, Internet Explorer, and many other of its software titles are among the most popular software packages available to computer users. To provide support to users, the company created the Microsoft Knowledge Base where users can get answers to questions, troubleshoot software issues, and learn how to fix or work around a bug or incompatibility.
No one knows Microsoft products better than their creator does. Using a sophisticated network of experts, users, and several error reporting initiatives, the Microsoft Knowledge Base contains the world’s most comprehensive collection of fixes, troubleshooting advice, and tutorials on how to fix all of Microsoft’s software. If you are having trouble with a Microsoft product, particularly any version of Windows, start at the Microsoft Knowledge Base at Microsoft Support.
#3 – TechTutorials.net
Sometimes the best way to deal with computer problems is to reduce the chances you will have issues in the first place. This is especially true if you use and rely on a certain software title and cannot work without it.
TechTutorials is another free resource for troubleshooting computers covering a wide range of topics including hardware, software, Windows, Mac, Linux, Cisco, networking, programming, databases and more. TechTutorials is a hub that gathers the best tutorials on the web and categorizes them according to relevant topics. Many of the tutorials linked from TechTutorials cover preventive as well as remedial tutorials.
Typically, there are several tutorials available on a subject reducing your need to search for them on your own on Google or Yahoo. Just search for your topic at TechTutorials and choose the answer that best fits your computer problem.
#4 – Mac101 by Apple
So much of the world is focused on Microsoft and its Windows operating system that the Mac community is often overlooked. Still, Mac users seem to find each other and help out whenever an issue with any of Apple’s products pops up.
Luckily, Apple itself provides some amazing tutorials covering beginner topics such as how to set up a Mac computer to intermediate and advanced topics such as troubleshooting wireless networking. Apple’s Mac101 tutorials are specifically targeted to those new to Mac and those who have spent a lifetime entrenched in the Wintel (Windows and Intel) world of computers.
Here you will find topics covered such as working with a Mac, getting support for Apple computer products, and getting hardware and software to work well together. In addition, this site also provides links to Apple’s Switch101 site, where users of Windows can learn how to migrate seamlessly from Windows to Mac. If you are new to Mac or just need some occasional help, Mac 101 is the place for you.
#5 – BrightHub.com
OK, we may be a little biased here but the truth is BrightHub is an excellent place to learn how to do all kinds of things with your computer. In particular, there are many tutorials on troubleshooting computers, advice on how to choose the right hardware and software, as well as a network of experts eager to listen to what kinds of articles you would like to see published at BrightHub or answer help out with questions posted in the comments area of each article.
BrightHub’s computer channel is chock full of advice and tutorials on the subjects of Linux, Mac, Windows, Hardware, computer security and even advice for IT professionals on enterprise computing. These tutorials are only a search away with hundreds of articles added each month by writers dedicated to providing comprehensive coverage of the most important topics.
BrightHub also contains a very easy to use search box that tends to return more relevant results than many search functions on other sites. The tutorials found here are well written and typically do not contain unnecessary jargon that will stand in the way of troubleshooting your computer and getting you back up and working.
Conclusion
Numerous free online resources contain computer-troubleshooting tutorials. These tutorials can save you a lot of money by allowing you to fix your own computer instead of paying someone else to do it. Find a site that works for you and learn how to fix your computer yourself instead of having to rely on someone else.
