Help Troubleshooting Advice

Help & Troubleshooting Advice

Here's some advice for getting help with and troubleshooting problems.

• Join a Macintosh user group. Joining a user group and attending meetings is probably the most cost-effective way to learn about your computer and get help. You can find a users' group near you by consulting the Apple User Group Web site, www.apple.com/usergroups/.

• Visit Apple's Web site. If you have access to the Web, you can find a wealth of information about your computer online. Start at www.apple.com/support/ and search for the information you need.

• Visit the Web sites for the companies that develop the applications you use most. A regular visit to these sites can keep you up to date on updates and upgrades to keep your software running smoothly. These sites can also provide technical support for problems you encounter while using the software. Learn the URLs for these sites by consulting the documentation that came with the software.

• Visit Web sites that offer troubleshooting information. MacFixIt (www.macfixit.com) and MacInTouch (www.macintouch.com) are two excellent resources.

• Read Macintosh magazines. A number of magazines, each geared toward a different level of user, can help you learn about your computer: Macworld and Mac Addict are the most popular. Stay away from PC-centric magazines; the majority of the information they provide will not apply to your Macintosh and may confuse you.

• Buy a good troubleshooting guide. I highly recommend Mac OS X Help Line, Tiger Edition, a Peachpit Press book by Ted Landau. I'm not recommending this book because Peachpit or Ted asked me to. I'm recommending it because I think it's the best Mac OS X troubleshooting book around.