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Technical Resources

  • Computer Maintenance & Repair
  • Software Support
  • Other Stuff

    • Computer Maintenance & Repair

    General Information

    C-Net
    Internet speed tweaks: 14 tune-up tricks
    Help.com
    the place to find hundreds of thousands of computer and technology questions and answers, culled from Usenet newsgroups and submitted by users around the world. Search the existing databases, or submit your own questions.
    Know your CPU's
    PC Mechanic
    A weekly column on PC hardware issues from CNET.
    Technical Adviser
    Hardware Message Boards
    Computers
    Host is slow to respond.
    Computer Info locator sites
    Provided by John Dvorak himself...
    Computer & Communications
    A comprehensive link site provided by Webstart Communications
    No Wonder! Tech Support and News Centre
    Personal Response from Volunteer and Certified Staff in 24 hours or less. Or become one of their advisors.
    Motherboard Home World
    All about computer motherboards -- how to choose them, install them, and even identify them.
    The PC Guide
    Technical assistance on line: optimization, diagnostics & repairs, hardware upgrades, etc.
    PC-Help Online
    Provides links to manufacturers and suppliers; also provides discussion groups, e-mail help, and other resources.
    PC Mechanic
    An independent site devoted to discussion of hardware issues.
    Tom's Hardware Guide
    An excellent resource if you like detailed technical information on the inner workings of your PC.
    WebStart's Computer and Communication Entry Page
    Provides a compendium of computer-related reference materials
    ZDNet
    Anchor Desk's Problem Resolution Page
    Guide to Help Sites
    A review of several on-line help sites, only some of which appear on these pages.
    The Help Channel on ZDNet
    The Help Channel — Healthy PC
    Links to all kinds of useful resources, including articles published in Ziff-Davis' host of computer magazines.
    The Help Channel — TipZone
    Full of answers and tips for common computer maintenance and setup problems.
    The Help Channel — Search engine

    Bug Reports

    BugNet
    Bug reports, obviously. And other related information, including a gallery of README files so you don't have to install the program to find out what you should know before you do the install. Microsoft is well represented in this gallery — go figure!

    Manufacturer Identification & Contact Info

    FCC ID Lookup
    Identify the hardware manufacturer from the FCC ID code on the label

    OEM Sites — Hardware

    Asus USA Home Page
    ATI Technical Support
    Cardinal Technologies, Inc.
    Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Gravis Ultrasound mirror site
    Hewlett Packard
    The customer care pages. Find your product from here, and go for it. (11/01)
    Jaton Corp.
    Jaton Modems Knowledge Base
    Maxtor Corporation Home Page
    Maxtor - Tech Support & Customer Service
    Motorola Modems
    Quantum Hard Drives
    Now supported by Maxtor. This link will take you there. Quantum's hard drive white papers are here too — and worth chasing. (7/01)
    Western Digital Corporation Hard Drives

    Driver Update Sources

    All PC Operating Systems
    C-Net's Download.com
    Mister Driver
    Drivers for Windows, Linux, and O/S2. Navigation is, well, interesting. Possibly quite good -- but some pages didn't want to load on my machine. (7/02)
    PC Drivers Headquarters
    A simple and easily navigable site — and favourably reviewed too. Provides a driver detection function.
    Vobis Microcomputer AG
    A German site—may be quite useful if you're looking for old drivers. etc. Navigation is a challenge if you have no German. (7/02)

    Windows 3.x/95/98/NT
    ZDNet Driver Finder
    WinDrivers.com
    John Dvorak recommends this site as containing links to all the Windows drivers you could ever need. They answer questions, too—but they want money. See also Dvorak's site for this kind of research. (7/02)
    Windows 95/98/NT
    WinFiles.com
    32-bit driver updates, shareware, tips & tricks, software reviews
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    Software Support

    EUDORA

    Qualcomm Resources for Eudora Light
    Manual(700KB Adobe Acrobat file)
    README.TXT
    FAQs
    Knowledge Base
    On-line forums and resources
    Andrew Starr's Eudora for Windows Page
    A Guide to The Eudora Mail Package
    Another Guide to Eudora— this one's a goodie
    Ken Simler's Eudora Help
    Some useful FAQ's, and lots of links to other resources. Not updated since Feb. '98.
    iStar's Eudora Help
    C-Net's Eudora Tips

    LINUX

    C-NET.com - The Linux Lineup
    A head-to-head review of 7 Linux distros. And some links to other Linux resources on C-Net.
    C-NET Linux Tips and Tricks
    Advise for choosing and installing a Linux distro
    C-NET.com - Linux
    CNET claims a powerful metasearch engine, as well as download links and reviews of Linux software. And developing news items.
    freshmeat.net
    Linux software downloads; lots of links to other Linux resources.
    Caldera Systems, Inc. - Support Knowledge Base
    The K Desktop Environment
    Development news, downloads, and links for the KDE desktop environment for Linux.
    Linux.com
    More information about Linux
    The Linux Documentation Project
    Linux Journal
    Articles and resources for Linux
    Linux International
    "Linux International is a non-profit association of groups, corporations and others that work towards the promotion of and helping direct the growth of the Linux operating system and the Linux community. "
    Linux Today
    Current news articles about Linux
    Linuxtopia
    Articles, stories, and information about Linux
    LinuxWorld - Putting Linux to Work
    online magazine
    Slashdot
    "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters." Linux news items.
    ZDNet's resource list
    ZDTV | Linux Superguide
    A bunch of basic but useful Linux tips

    MICROSOFT

    Microsoft Corporation
    Microsoft Library
    Microsoft Download Center
    Microsoft Product FAQ's
    Update Notifications
    Each time a new critical fix, patch, update, or download is added to the Windows Update Web site, you will be notified via an alert window once you log on to your computer. But getting into this page takes forever.
    Ask Maxwell
    Ask Maxwell — in plain English — your support questions about Windows 98, Internet Explorer, Outlook, Microsoft games and multimedia products. He's studying up on Office.
    Explorer
    C-Net's Internet Explorer Tips and Tricks
    Microsoft's Web tutorial
    New to the Net? Let our Web tutorial help you find your way.
    Windows 95 —
    C-Net's Windows 98/Me Discussions
    System Sentry
    Did an install step on a system file? Did one get corrupted by a virus? System Sentry maintains a database of all your system files and compares them to your original Windows installation and its last save file list. If a program installs and create conflicts, System Sentry provides an easy means of locating and fixing the problem.
    Windows95.com
    Windows 95 Annoyances
    Windows 95/NT Undocumented Secrets
    Windows 95 Unsupported  Devices
    Unsupported Devices Under Windows 95
    WinFiles.com!
    32-bit Shareware, Drivers, Tips, and Information — privately maintained, but good.

    NETSCAPE

    Using Netscape Browsers
    Unofficial Netscape FAQ
    Netscape System Errors, GPFs, and Page Faults
    C-Net's Communicator 4 Help
    Communicator Preferences
    Communicator's Command Line Options
    Netscape Communicator 4.5 New Features Tour Page 1
    Netscape Navigator Gold 3.0 Beta Release 3.0
    Netscape Navigator 3.x and below — Usenet discussion group

    SYMANTEC

    Symantec Corporation Home Page
    Symantec Technical Support
    Download NAV English Updates
    C-Net's Norton AV support pages

    MISC.

    Connectix
    ExtSearch
    Need to know what program is associated with the file extension in front of you? Here's where to look.
    MusicTime
    PGP & Remailers Made Simple
    Quicken tips from CNET Features - How To
    QuickLink III - Knowledge Base
    QuickLink III - FAQ
    Software Update Watch
    Trumpet Winsock
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    Other Stuff

    HTML Editing

    Accessible Site Design
    HTML tips and page design aimed at accessibility with any browser. No "best viewed with..." here.
    CNET Builder.com
    C-NET's resources for webmeisters
    HTML quick reference - (1996; ver. 2.0)
    Basic and a bit dated -- but clean
    iSTAR's "So You Wanna Make a Web Page...
    Netscape's Web Sites Tool Chest
    Lots of stuff for decorating a web page — buttons, bullets, wallpaper, etc.
    NCSA--A Beginner's Guide to HTML
    Very comprehensive, and includes links to more detailed information
    Site Meter - Counter and Statistics Tracker
    Add a hit counter to your web page. Site Meter provides the code and e-mail reports. And other free stuff.
    Webmonkey
    Website-building tutorials and related info from Lycos
    Web Pages That Suck
    "Where you learn good Web design by looking at bad Web design." A good site to check into if you're interested in what makes a bad website. Unless your website is one of those shown here, that is. (7/02)

    Modems — General Information

    Ask Mr. Modem
    CNET's Modem tune-up tricks
    C-NET's modem tweaking tips
    Curt's High Speed Modem Page
    28.8/33.6/56 Kbps Modem Tips & Tricks
    Navas 28800-56K Modem FAQ: TROUBLESHOOTING
    Support Links: Modem Companies
    ZDNet's Modem Reviews
    56K line test
    3Com's line test site. Check the quality of your modem's connection.

    Bandwidth test sites

    For these tests, results will be less variable if you pick a test site that is geographically close to you and your computer is not running other programs at the same time. All require javascript; some tests require Java. Make sure that they are enabled in your browser as needed.
    2Wire
    2Wire is a broadband ISP and solutions provider in San Jose, CA. You'll need to be sure that javascript and pop-up windows are enabled to use this test. It's not as informative as some of the speed test sites below. (4/03)
    BandwidthPlace
    Also provides some fairly detailed information and some statistics. The server is in Texas. Javascript required. (4/03)
    Broadband Reports.com
    Provides a server in California that has a 45Mbps connection to the Internet. Reported results include 10 connection types for comparison, and also provides reported results for your ISP. Detailed tweak information for those who want to improve the performance of their connection. Optimized for IE5; they warn you that results in Netscape may be low. Java required. (6/03)
    CNET's Bandwidth meter
    CNET's server for this service is in San Francisco, CA.  Provides a clear graphical comparison of your connection against 8 different connection types, from a 28.8K dial-up to a 1.5Mbps DSL connection. Javascript required. (4/03)
    Computers4Sure
    Not a lot of info provided with the speed test. This one isn't much more than a sales pitch, but its results compare well with the other test sites here. (4/03)
    Modem Speed Test Page
    Designed for modems. May not be accurate for cable and DSL links.(4/03)
    MSN Speed Test
    Brought to you by MSN Tech & Gadgets, with ZD Net. Server is in San Jose, CA. Provides the same test results presentation as CNET's bandwidth meter above. Javascript required. (4/03)
    PCPitstop
    Provides speed tests for a variety of connections, as well as extensive information to assist in improving the performance of an Internet connection. (4/03)
    SBC Yahoo! DSL Internet Throughput Test
    Provides a good selection of access points. Pick the closest for the most reliable test. The site also provides good information. Said to be for Netscape 6 or IE only, but I got good results with Opera 6. (4/03)
    Speakeasy Speed Test
    Uses the Broadband Reports test results format, and some tweaking information. Unlike the Broadband Reports site, Speakeasy indicates that it will use its closest point of presence to you for the test — which may explain why the results I got were higher on this test site than elsewhere. Like DSLReports, Speakeasy will provide comparative results for your ISP. Java required. (4/03)
    TestMySpeed.com
    This site provides over 200 access points for selection for your test, both in the USA and throughout much of the western world. However, the list may not be up to date — I couldn't access several of the Pacific NorthWest access points listed. (4/03)
    Toast.net
    Provides several servers east of the Prairies and both compressible and uncompressible content for testing. Javascript required. (4/03)


    If the above don't do it for you, you'll find more at DSL Speed Test Service and Bandwidth Speed Test Broadband Internet Connection Speedtest. There are several East Coast and European sites listed there as well as the above on both sites. The latter also provides a wealth of information concerning Internet connection issues.

    Magazine Sites — General Information

    PC Computing's Web Map - Overview
    PC World
    TechWeb
    Current news on the technical front; access to tech support.
    WinMagWeb
    ZD Net
    1001 Downloads - Main Page
    Software Library - Most Popular Downloads 1997
    PC Computing Choice Page
    PC Magazine -- Articles, reviews, and shareware
    PC Magazine's 1999 Utilities Guide
    Story: Power Search for the Ultimate Data Rush

    Misc.

    Adobe Acrobat Reader
    Earlier versions; other language versions. Not sure which version your system can handle? Check here.(7/02)
    SPAM pages
    How to avoid it; how to deal with it.
    Software search sites
    whatis.com
    Computer-related definitions of all kinds
    Virus Links
    An extensive collection of links to computer virus info — FAQ's, hoax info, etc.
    VCR Repair Instruction
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    About this site...
    The WizWorksCollection
    This page last updated on June 14, 2003