Consumer 10.0: A crash course in finding computer help

Last week, I told you about Jim Wellen, a Voorhees consultant with a computer problem - persistent crashes of Internet Explorer - that he took to Office Depot for repair.

Several weeks and $170 later, Wellen still had the same computer problem. But when he demanded his money back, Office Depot insisted on keeping $49 as a "nonrefundable diagnostic charge," despite the ineffective diagnosis and nonexistent fix.

The situation raised other issues for Wellen, who was especially irked that he'd been lured to Office Depot by its offer of a "free PC checkup." Wellen says it seemed like a classic bait-and-switch - an allegation disputed by Office Depot, which says a computer checkup and diagnosis are two entirely different things.

But Wellen's problems with his computer - and difficulties getting them fixed - are hardly unusual. Joel Entler of West Chester called last week to tell a similar tale of frustration with Staples, albeit with a happier ending. After $250 in fees and several tries, Staples' techs rid his computer of the viruses that had infected it.

Experiences such as Wellen's and Entler's raise a broader question: Once a computer's warranty has expired, where should you turn to solve a problem? Here are some basic tips and caveats.

Find your inner geek. A vast amount of information is available online for those confident enough to dig in and address problems themselves. A typical search may lead you to a site such as www.answers.microsoft.com, where you'll find suggestions from others who have conquered a problem before you.

Independent websites abound, too, as well as those centered on particular kinds of software or shareware.

Return to the source. If you want help or hand-holding, one place to start is your computer or software manufacturer. Even past warranty, it may be possible to get free help, or at least affordable support, from these companies - the folks who, frankly, should know the most about your problem and might even be partly to blame.

Mac users often swear by Apple's Genius Bar, where an in-store appointment can get you 10 or 15 minutes' free attention, which is often plenty to address a simple problem.

If you use a PC that runs with one of Microsoft's operating systems, such as XP or Vista, one of your first stops should be http://support.microsoft.com/.