When friends call you with computer trouble, you try to help. But no matter how much you know about PCs, correcting a problem can be a challenge when you're talking to someone who doesn't know a taskbar from a USB port. So we've put together the definitive guide to providing IT support for those closest to you. We'll show you the tweaks, the tricks and the freebies that will make you the most popular geek in town.
Get in with the IT crowd, the easy way
5. Help your friends to help themselves
Fix your friends' PC, and they can use it for a day. Teach them to fix their own PC, and you get your life back.
If someone keeps calling you, insist that they at least ask for help first in the PC Advisor Helproom Forum (it is, after all, the largest IT forum in Europe. Then get them to visit the following help sections on PC Advisor:
- PC security tutorials
- Business advice
- Windows walk-throughs
- Internet help
- Mobile computing walk-throughs
And for the holidays, buy your trouble-prone friends and relatives USB hard drives with bundled backup software.
They may look at the unwrapped gift the way you looked at a present of socks when you were a kid, but someday they'll thank you.
Comments
Josh said: Being the only technical one in my group of friends I am often assailed with tech support emails I do find that it is usually easy if the other person is online to use either Crossloop as ScorpionUK mentioned or TeamViewer The best part about the second is that it does not need to actually be installed the setup asks you whether to install or just run so it helps with more careful readparanoid friends as well as one friend who habitually fills up his hard drive This article has actually helped me to get some new programs though and they are now safely installed on my flash drive
WOW said: You havent found a simple to download and install app yet Then might I politely suggest you havent been looking - and no Im not about to do your job and tell you what
Scorpionuk said: I found the best remote tool is called CrossLoop - simple to download and install all it requires is for the host to give you a 12 digit verification number which is generated new by the program each time There is no need to mess around with router settings etc I believe the program runs off the back of UltraVNCs code
Kylde said: Ive found the simplest remote solution is to intitiate a remote desktop connection using windowsmsn messenger Alternatively logmeincom is pretty straightforward or theres UltraVNCs SC singleclick tool