Community   Do IT yourself

Do IT Yourself! Fix common issues without paying a technician.

Hi, and welcome to the Do IT Yourself section of Xtreme Computer.

Before you dive into some of our topics listed below and to the left in our menu. I'd like to offer a couple of things that might make using this section easier for you.

1. Technicians have never been A+ English students.
2. Technicians seem to assume you know the basics.
3. Technicians do not use verbal scripts they use written processes with Visual Basic and Power Shell Scripts.
4. Technicians like technical challenges and want to know the fix.
5. Technicians like phone calls after hours or weekends at 5 times the hourly service rates. (humor but fact as well)

I should have saved number 5 as part of my True or False how well do you know your technicial support people.

The list above has a few more lines but they are not important right now.

What's important is for me to document just how you can use this section to help yourself do basic computer management and maintenance.

First off, you need to learn what computer you have. Sure, it's a Dell, Lenovo, ThinkPad, iPad, Desktop, CPU, Tower, Acer, etc. Now, if you send me "My computer is a Dell" I'm going to ask you to call Dell Support and write down there follow up question.

Do you have your service tag number, make and model of your computer or your invoice number? (I saved you the time calling)

Always start off your computer question following this guideline.

• Manufacturer, Make, Model, Date of manufacture (if listed)
• Operation system type, version, patched or updated version. (often called minor version)

With this information we now can set our minds to focus on common issues we have seen.

Next up would be what you suspect the issue is? Did you install a DVD and it's not working? That would be Hardware. Did you install a new game and it's not working? That would be Software. Did you get a new virus without asking for it? That would also be Software. Your printer that was working for years stopped working. That would be hardware.

• Do you suspect Software or Hardware issues?
• Give a short but detailed account of the last 3 things you were doing with your computer when you noticed the issue. This is mostly what you were doing with the last 15 to 30 minutes.
• Give the last 3 major updates or changes you have made in your computer. This could be what you added in the last 30 days or more.

Now we are getting some good information from you so you can get some detailed steps on how to correct the issue from us. It takes what we call "Interrogation" (at times) others might call it "Probing or Leading Questions". (Take your pick, it is all the same, extracting information.)

Now, feel free to use the form below so we can start helping others with similar issues.

We will tell you if the issue is more technical than a common computer user would do and offer our services. We also know when technical support people write asking us to fix their customers computer issues.

Make sure you enter your telephone number because we will validate your question with a follow up call. It also will help you know when we have published our troubleshooting steps.

If it sounds like to much work there's always Google and Bing support.

How to Form your Service Request:

1. Make, Model of your computer
2. Operating System Name, Version and Updates applied.
3. Software issues, error messages, strange sightings on your screen.
4. Hardware issues, smoke, shutting down, blue screens, can't connect.
5. Installation and Configuration of software. Don't know if you have your setting correct in AVG or other software?
6. Firewall, router, switch, gateway, wireless access point, internet provider issues.

The more information you supply the quicker issues can be corrected.

Enjoy this section and feel free to ask questions.

If you need your system fixed without the typical week to years wait free sections offer you can click on our service link and schedule a service call remotely or on-site.