Help yourself

I can be fairly helpless at times. I misplace my wallet and car keys, have trouble finding the big yellow mustard container in the refrigerator and had to get my stepdaughter’s help to assemble a radio-controlled airplane I got for Christmas.

So I understand how frustrating it can be to be faced with a problem with an HDTV, computer or other gadget you don’t understand. I try to help with my weekly Q&A column, but I can only take a couple of questions a week.

Today we’ll talk about various ways to ease those high-tech frustrations on your own. Keep in mind that — despite what I tell my buddies — I run into all sorts of tech questions that baffle me. These resources have saved my neck many a time.

Google

Google is like having a tireless research assistant with access to mountains of reference books. It’s a good place to start on almost any question. The trick is to be as exact as you can in your query. Let’s say you have an ATI videocard. You’ve tried to use the software that came with the card to load the driver (the tiny piece of software that communicates between the card and your computer) and failed. Use a search like this:

+driver +“won’t load” +ATI

That tells Google with the + sign that the word must be in the results. If I did the same search without the plus signs, I’d get some pages that contained the word “driver” but that didn’t mention the other terms at all. Next, by putting quote marks around the “won’t load” statement, I’ve told Google that the page must include those words in that order. Using a search engine correctly can make a huge difference in the results you get.

Manufacturers

Often I hear from readers who have spent weeks trying to puzzle out a problem. I’ll ask them if they contacted the manufacturer. Too often, they hadn’t.

Even a tech genius knows less about a gadget than the folks who built it.

If a feature of the gadget, or software, is hard to figure out, they’ve heard about it from customers and often have come up with a better explanation. If something doesn’t work right, they’ve probably heard about it and designed a fix.

Most manufacturers have a Web page that includes a link to answers to support questions that they’ve received. You’ll also find a link to a download section — that’s especially handy when you need to download drivers and other support software. You’ll often find “bug fix” programs that will fix a defect in software.

Web forums

Sometimes called user groups, these are Web pages that are not sponsored by the manufacturer. They draw people who are interested in a specific software program or hardware device.

There are lots of these places. You’ll be able to post a message asking a question of others who are interested in the program or device you own.

The upside? You’ll often hear critical comments that would be off-limits from a manufacturer site. And since these people are enthusiastic enough about the product to gather together to talk about it, there are plenty of experts available.

The downside? I’d guess that at least 70 percent of the posters are coming there to get help, not offer advice. And some of those who offer help will be flat wrong. So if you get a suggested fix, try to check it out with others. If it involves doing anything radical to the device or software — something that could cause more damage — don’t just think twice. Think four or five times.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll help you when I can. But there’s something really satisfying about figuring out a problem for yourself. And, along the way, you learn more about the product, and that prepares you for the inevitable new problems.