Long before picking up your telephone to call  for help, there are some basic steps you should take to increase  your chances of obtaining good  technical support later on:

Record Your Error Messages

It's a good idea to keep a journal or  a binder containing a record of any problems you experience with  your hardware and software. Such note taking might seem trivial  now, but if you should need  technical support later, patterns of similar errors over time could be priceless to your computer technician. Windows, for example, loves to display strings of nonsensical  numbers when it finds an error. Write down everything the .dll,  the error code, special characters, etc. The more info you gather  at the time of the problem, the better your chances are for a successful resolution.

Tip: Hold down the Alt + Print Scrn keys, then, open a word processor such as Notepad or paint program such as Paint and paste (Ctrl-V) the error into  a file. Save the file into a new directory for error messages on your hard  drive. You might also want to print it out and place it within your journal or  binder.

Record Your Actions When The Problem Occurred

Take a moment and  think back to what you were attempting to do (Print? Save to disk?) when your program or system  stopped working. You've done these same steps a hundred times, but  did you do or notice anything different this time? Maybe there's  a new program running in another window? Maybe you were you downloading  a large file  from the Internet? What may seem to be trivial information, information about  unrelated programs, is sometimes very significant. 

Back Up Your Entire System Often

One common solution  to many computer problems is to reformat the hard drive. That  means all your data will have to be reloaded onto your computer.  And the only way you can do that is to  have a complete backup. Don't be fooled by the manufacturer's attempts to  provide a partial backup procedure that only backs up the most recent files. While that may save some time now, when it comes time to restore your hard drive's contents, you'll actually be  at a loss. 

Store Your Program Disks In One Place

This means all of your original program CDs and disks, including  your original operating system disks.  Ideally, these should be  kept in one box near your computer. If you have updated  your system by downloading a patch or a driver, copy each updated file to its  own floppy disk, label them, and place these disks within your  box of computer  program CDs and disks. Once you've made the decision to call technical  support, make  sure you have the following information on-hand: 

System Specifications

In other words, know your machine! This is  important. With so many makes and models out there, the  technician answering  your call will need to know what kind of  system you have. For example, if you call Dell Computers and say  you have an Optima, the technician will need to know exactly which  model number because that one product line has many variations.  Better yet, check to see if there's a barcode with a serial number  somewhere on  the computer. If it's not on the computer, check  your original invoice. Having a serial number is one surefire  way to improve your support experience. 

Hardware and Software  Information

Find out what hardware and software you have  installed on your machine. At the very least know which operating  system (Windows 95, 98, etc.) you are running. If it's a software problem, find out which version you are running. Most applications will tell you  the correct version number by clicking on Help > About.

If you are calling about a hardware problem, think about what other peripherals you have on your machine. For example, parallel port Iomega Zip drives plug in between the computer and your printer. So if you call your  printer vendor to say your laser  printer stopped working, you should also explain that it stopped  working sometime after you installed an Iomega Zip  Drive. 

Tip: Any time you add something to your computer and then notice something  else has stopped working, chances are it's that last thing you added  that is causing the conflict. 

Power Supply

Always check your cables and power plug. You'd be surprised how often  technical support calls are resolved with this simple  reminder  to check your cables and power outlets. There's even a tech support joke that goes something along the lines of: A man calls technical  support to  say that he was working on a document when his computer went dark. The technician asks if all the cables are plugged in.  The man answers: "Yes." The technician asks if the man can reboot  the computer. The man answers: "No."  Finally, the tech asks the man to try plugging the computer into another outlet.  After a moment, the man says "I'd like to but ever since the power went  out, I  haven't been able to see all that much here in the dark."

It's inevitable that when you call technical support, you will  spend a few minutes on hold. So, put that "wasted"  time to good use—here's how: 

Place Your Support Call Near The Computer

It's a good idea to make your technical support calls in the same room as the troubled computer. What if  you don't have a portable phone? Well, if you have a modem on your computer, then you have a working telephone line connected to the computer.  Most modems  have a plug for a standard telephone. Unless the technician needs to dial into  your computer (which sometimes happens), you  should be able to talk and work on  the computer at the same time. 

Be Prepared

Have all your notes in one place. Grab your binder and  original computer disks. 

Relax And Stay Calm

Remember that anger won't fix your computer any  faster. And, as bad as it might seem, you probably haven't completely broken your machine or lost all your data. When your computer starts  flipping alien  messages onto your monitor, the temptation will be  strong to pick up the phone and vent your PC's problem with someone. However, if you really want help, take a few breaths and count  to ten before someone answers your call.

Listen Carefully

The technician on the other end doesn't  know you  or the problem you're having with your computer. The tech may ask some basic  questions (such as whether the computer is plugged in or not). These are sometimes necessary to establish a basis of information. You might be  embarrassed, particularly if you do find that the source of your troubles is an  unplugged network cable, but don't worry. There's no black book in which you'll  receive a bad mark. From the technician's point of view, it's just another  resolved or closed call. 

Be Prepared To Go  Deep and Undercover

Sometimes it's necessary to  open your computer case. If a technician tells you to do so, you should feel  safe under his or her guidance. If your hard drive, CD-ROM, or  other peripheral device fails occasionally, it could be that a  cable has gotten loose. Often the  solution is to open the computer  case and push down on all the cables inside the case. You don't  have to pay someone to do this simple test, and sometimes you  can be up and running again within a few minutes. A note of caution: If you are wearing any loose metallic jewelry, take it off.

Be Patient

Remember the technician is only human and as is as prone to stress as any one else, yelling at him or her while seeming like a good idea at the time wont always bring forth the  result you are after. Make your point clearly and firmly and if you don’t understand something interrupt and ask for it to be explained again.