Finding hardware and software help on the internet
Solutions to many of the problems computer users face are readily available online
It would be nice if you could sit down at your laptop or desktop computer and use it without any problems. Unfortunately, I’ve learned through experience that the path to a trouble-free computer may be long and rough. Fortunately, the internet can supply tons of help for your computer dilemmas and kindly programmers have created free software to fix many problems. Here are two examples I’ve recently encountered.
Reading the help file for a program is often the key to unlocking the mysteries of how to use the software. But a poorly written or overly technical manual can be just as bad as not having any help at all. I found this out when I downloaded a potentially nifty program called the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator (https://tinyurl.com/jomtbs8).
It’s a free program from Microsoft that allows you to re-define what each key on a laptop or desktop keyboard does. You can set any key so that when it’s tapped a frequently used symbol or even a whole sentence or phrase will be inserted; the sentence can even be in a different language. This can save an enormous amount of time when composing an email message or a document. Several revised keyboards can be saved along with the normal keyboard and you choose which one to use when you need it.
I downloaded the program and 15 minutes later I was hopelessly bewildered by the incredibly confusing help file. But before giving up I checked the largest help file on the internet, Google. I did a search for how to use the Layout Creator, got a link to a Youtube video, and in five minutes a concise and computer literate woman, who calls herself Tech Angel, showed me how to use the program (https://youtu.be/87bt7GBM02M).
This Google route to problem solving is tremendously useful; rather than becoming disheartened and hopelessly frustrated turn to Google, or your other preferred search engine such as Bing or Yahoo. Next time you run into a problem with software or your laptop, tablet, or smartphone, type a descriptive search into the search bar and see what comes up. But be precise. Specify if it’s an iPad or an Android tablet, what you need help with, and what Windows operating system you’re using. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
For all things to do with a Microsoft program or Windows, Microsoft has a huge help website (https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca) which can often answer most of the common questions being asked about Windows, Skype, Microsoft Office, Outlook, and Xbox.
Not all computer issues are related to Windows, settings, or programs. Software can often come to the rescue for hardware related issues. Years ago laptop manufacturers decided to save a few cents here and there and one of the most egregious cuts they made was to eliminate the little lights on a laptop that indicated hard drive activity and whether the caps lock or number lock keys were active.
A hard drive light is essential to diagnosing many problems, such as figuring out your computer is slow because the hard drive is running constantly. Another complaint I’ve heard numerous times is that without a caps lock light you can’t be sure if the password you’re entering is wrong, or not being accepted because you’re typing it in capital letters.
Help is at hand in the form of a small, free program called Tray Status (https://www.traystatus.com) which will put little icons on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen to indicate if your hard drive is running, whether the caps lock or number lock is on, and the status of several other functions. During installation you get to pick which icons will appear and in what colour; I found “light icons with green” to be the most satisfying display. After installation, right click on any Tray Status icon to open the Settings and make any changes you want. The program is the paid version but after 30 days it will convert to the free version.
Luckily, for many computer problems there is help or a software solution readily available by searching online.