Online technical help can save the day -- and they are free

By Zatni Arbi

JAKARTA (JP): What would happen if your car broke down on a deserted Jakarta street in the middle of the night? Chances are, you would suddenly become very religious.

You will pray and pray for a miracle to happen. And that miracle is for your engine to jump to life -- after you have turned the ignition key for the thirty-sixth time. But if your battery dies before the twenty-ninth attempt, you will know that it is really a hopeless situation.

And, what would happen if your computer suddenly acts up in the middle of the night?

Your teenage son, who you have proudly admitted is far more computer savvy that yourself, is already snoring in his bed.

You do not think it is acceptable to call and wake up one of your colleagues, whom you usually turn to for computer advice, as it is already past bedtime for most people.

But you need to complete the report you are working on and save it on a diskette to take to the office the next day. What can you do?

Much as you would still have some hope if your car's battery had not released its last spark, you would have some hope as long as you could access the Internet.

That is the beauty of online technical help, which is available all over the Web.

If you have problem with Microsoft Office, the first place you should check is naturally Microsoft's own website, http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/default.aspx.

Here, at Microsoft Office's Assistance Center, you can read tips and tricks based on the task that you have to accomplish.

For example, you can learn how to protect your confidential documents from prying eyes. To some people, it may be a very mundane task, but to others it may seem to be as complicated as a rocket scientist's job.

If you choose, you can also read tips and tutorials based on the Office product that you use, such as Word, PowerPoint and Outlook.

In fact, the Assistance Center is a rich source for Office users who want to solve their problems or upgrade their Office skills. One major problem is that, currently, all the available materials are intended for Office XP users, and not all of us have migrated to the new Office version.

Another good place to seek advice is PC Pitstop (www.pcpitstop.com).

In addition to browsing its Q&A pages to find the answers to your problems, you can even post your questions in the bulletin board.

There are also useful tips and how-tos, such as tips shared by the CEO himself on how to keep your hard disk healthy.

Other services available from PC Pitstop include a remote diagnostics that will check the health of your PC, as well as an Antivirus Center that will check your PC using Panda Software's technology and virus list. If you are not sure what a particular term means, you can consult PC Pitstop's glossary.

HelpOnThe.Net (www.helponthe.net) is another website that you should visit in times of frustration or when you have the eagerness to learn more about a lot of computer tactics and strategies.

Check out http://forums.techguy.org/index.php if you want to learn more about Microsoft Office or Windows.

Another website that you should try out is About's Business Software (http://businesssoft.about.com/mbody.htm) if you want to continue working with WordPerfect, for instance. This site also provides tutorials and a library of tips that you can use to impress your coworkers.

Even hard-core IT professionals can find very useful information on the Internet that will help them in their work.

One of the best websites for professionals is TechRepublic (www.techrepublic.com).

CNet's Help.com (www.help.com) is another must-visit website if you are searching for useful tips and tricks on hardware, software, games, etc.

What about online help in Bahasa Indonesia?

Two of the sources you can try are InfoKomputer (www.infokomputer.com) and Komputeraktif (www.komputeraktif.com/tiptrik.asp).

All these websites are just a small sample of online sources for technical help that may save your day.

The best thing about them is that most of them are free -- really free. But, if you like, you can pay US$9.95 for a 24 x 7 Live Support session from HelpOnThe.Net, which promises a four- hour turnaround time.