Why You Should Always Try To Fix Your Computer Problem Yourself First
One of the biggest misconceptions about computers is that it
takes a rocket scientist to fix any problem that might show up on one. I'm here
to tell you that fixing your computer is something you can do.
Now, in no way am I calling down your local computer repair
person (I am one, remember) - they're by and large a very smart bunch of
people, usually with a lot of education and experience.
However, the fact remains that a large portion of the
problems that computer users encounter can be easily solved by following freely
available advice on this and other sites online.
Even more difficult problems can be solved if you're willing
to invest a little time to learn a few things about your computer along the
way.
Important: At very least, before you take your
computer in for service, see my Simple
Fixes for Most Computer Problems piece. There are some really simple
things that anyone can do that tend to fix most of the common problems I
see.
Fixing Your Own PC Will Save You Money
Saving money is probably an obvious advantage of fixing your
own computer.
Getting your computer serviced at a local shop will usually
run you from $40 to $90 USD per hour or more. Some are less expensive but
that's not the norm.
Remote
computer support options are typically cheaper but they can only help fix
some software related problems and are useless in cases where hardware is to
blame.
If you fix your computer problem yourself, you can
completely avoid what might end up being a several hundred dollar bill. No
matter what your financial situation, free is a pretty good deal. That's a lot
of money you can save by investing some time in trying to fix it yourself.
You Don't Need Expensive Tools to Fix Your Own Computer
Many people think that they have to buy lots of expensive
diagnostic hardware and software to fix a computer. This is absolutely not the
case. Expensive tools do exist but they're usually used to help computer repair
services test or solve things quickly or in bulk.
Chances are you already have 95% of the physical tools you
would ever need to fix any computer problem in your toolbox or garage.
Computer repair services also use many software diagnostic
tools to determine what might be wrong with a computer but most of the very
best ones they use are available for free online!
Here are a few of my favorite free, professional level
diagnostic tools available for download by anyone:
Also, while there are a number of reasons why owning a
second computer, or at least having temporary access to one, could help a lot
when you need to fix yours, it's not always necessary.
Your "smaller" computer - aka your smartphone or
tablet - is often a huge help, at very least as a research tool.
You'll Probably Be Back Up and Running Faster
You might be thinking to yourself at this point that surely
it'll take days or weeks to learn enough to repair your own computer and that
it won't be worth the trouble. You need your computer working right now,
right?
First of all, unless you're lucky, after you drop your
computer off at the repair shop you'll likely be waiting at least an entire
day, usually longer, before you'll be able to pick it back up. You are your
only client when you've become the repair person yourself so my guess is that
you can get on it a bit more quickly.
Secondly, you might be surprised to know that most common
problems are solved by relatively simple steps. The more time you spend looking
for solutions to computer problems online the more you'll see that this is
true.
Finally, and I really want to stress this one, you don't
need to learn to solve every computer problem to solve this
computer problem. A knowledgeable computer repair person has a lot of
experience and education and can solve a multitude of problems with ease. You
don't need to reach this level of knowledge about repairing computers.
You need to solve your single problem as quickly as
possible. Well written, easy to follow troubleshooting information online will
get you that.
You Know More Than You Think
If you're having trouble using the mouse, keyboard, or screw
driver then you might have a problem repairing your computer. Otherwise, you're
only a step-by-step troubleshooting guide away from solving pretty much any
computer problem you might see.
So much great information is available to help people solve
computer problems online, from self-help troubleshooting guides and tutorials
like you'll find on my site here, to personal help on social networks and
forums, something you can read more about on my Get More
Help page.
If you can think logically, follow instructions in order,
and ask questions when you're not sure about something or don't understand,
then you should feel confident enough to try to fix your own computer problems
before you even think about paying someone else to.
Not Going to Happen?
If all the confidence building I've done to this point isn't
doing the trick, and you're absolutely sure that you'd rather have a
professional tackle this computer issue, at least read through some helpful pieces
about getting your computer repaired.
See How Do
I Get My Computer Fixed? for a complete list of your computer support
options and when to choose what.
My Getting
Your Computer Fixed: A Complete FAQ should also be helpful at this point.
Written by: Tim Fisher
Culled from: About.com
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