Hello!
If you are having some technical troubles, you've come to the right place!
Use the menu below to look around, and click `Start` when you're ready to begin troubleshooting.
You'll be asked to describe your issue, and when we've narrowed it down far enough, I'll give you my recommendation on whether you need some professional assistance or if you could actually knock it out yourself!
About This Project
This website was made to help users, laymen and IT folk alike, narrow down and resolve issues in a way that saves time and money.
Let's be honest: Contacting call centers, scavenging the internet, submitting tickets, and paying people to fix stuff can be quite aggrivating, especially when you realize that a lot of IT work involves just googling stuff. By going through the prompts on this webpage, skipping the middleman is a dream come true.
Of course, there may be a chance you did not get your issue resolved, or this website did not take into consideration the specific symptom(s) you're experiencing. The important thing to know is when to contact a professional - because they are needed. After all, your broken phone screen can't be fixed over the internet! However, even before you reach out to your friendly, neighborhood IT person, by using this website, you've just solved or potentially narrowed down the root of your issue.
If you enjoy using this website and would like to share any suggestions for it, shoot an email at feedback@doineedtechsupport.com!
Let's be honest: Contacting call centers, scavenging the internet, submitting tickets, and paying people to fix stuff can be quite aggrivating, especially when you realize that a lot of IT work involves just googling stuff. By going through the prompts on this webpage, skipping the middleman is a dream come true.
Of course, there may be a chance you did not get your issue resolved, or this website did not take into consideration the specific symptom(s) you're experiencing. The important thing to know is when to contact a professional - because they are needed. After all, your broken phone screen can't be fixed over the internet! However, even before you reach out to your friendly, neighborhood IT person, by using this website, you've just solved or potentially narrowed down the root of your issue.
If you enjoy using this website and would like to share any suggestions for it, shoot an email at feedback@doineedtechsupport.com!
Tips to Help Make Life Easier
When Contacting Tech Support
- Take note of your responses on this website to see what you've narrowed your issue down to.
- Provide as much information as practical to avoid back-and-forth phone calls - bonus points if you have everything ready before making contact.
- Checking the serial number of your device on its manufacturer's website may give some information about its status.
- If you have a recurring issue, take note of the past solutions attempted, and consider if you need to make a reinstallation/replacement or get a new product.
- If someone resolves your issue, try to learn from them what caused the issue and what actions were taken to resolve it.
- Provide any useful context surrounding your issue like how pressing the issue is and the impact it is having.
- On behalf of IT and call center people around the world, please be patient. Understanding customers are more pleasant to work with, and whoever is supporting you will have the breathing room to do their job well. Besides, the person you are contacting most likely did not cause this issue.
Troubleshooting Questions To Ask Yourself
- When did this issue start? What were you doing when the issue started?
- Are there any other users with you experiencing this same issue?
- Did you make any changes or updates leading up to this issue? If so, what were they?
- Did you notice anything in particular about this that stands out to you? Are there any errors showing or something on your screen to make note of? It may help to send a picture.
- Have you consulted any documentation or instructions regarding your issue? If so, what have you reviewed?
- Have you tried resolving this issue yourself? If so, what have you tried?
- (If applicable) Have you tried using your device's/application's built-in diagnostic tool(s)?
- (If applicable) What is the model/version/tag/serial number of your device(s), operating system(s), and/or software?
- (If applicable) Have you tried updating, restarting, or power cycling your application(s)/device(s)?
General Tech Troubleshooting
- The root of all tech issues is change. Find out what changed and use backups/restore points for when change happens.
- If it’s a hardware issue, try replacing the device or testing the computer with another device. Hardware issues can be intermittent at times and may not be permanent. If it's a software or firmware issue, it may need to be resolved by a developer, but installing updates can help. If possible, firmware issues can also be treated by running diagnostic scans.
- Laptops with hardware issues can be hard to resolve as everything is permanently integrated.
Information Security Information
- Take time to read the terms of service and privacy policy!
- As soon as you set up a device, install an application, or make an account anywhere, the first thing you should do is go to your settings and configure everything accordingly.
- There are three categories of vulnerabilities: design flaws, misconfigurations/misimplementations, and operation security failures. Design flaws may happen outside of your grasp, and you may not always have the settings available to make proper configurations, but you can control your operational security! By exercising awareness and caution when surfing the web, ordering something online, streaming content, playing a game, or checking your email, you will be much better off. After all, an anti-malware program won't prevent you from falling for that phishing email, giving into a scam, clicking on that advertisement disguised as a button, or believing what was on that popup.
- A strong password can be long rather than complex, making it more secure and easier to memorize.
Additional Resources
General Support
- Adobe: https://helpx.adobe.com/support.html
- ASUS: https://www.asus.com/us/support
- Apple: https://support.apple.com/
- Dell: https://www.dell.com/support/
- Google: https://support.google.com
- HP: https://support.hp.com
- Information Technology News: https://www.techopedia.com/
- Lenovo: https://support.lenovo.com
- Microsoft: https://support.microsoft.com
- Playstation: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/
- Samsung: https://www.samsung.com/us/support
- Technology Phrases, Words, and Meanings: https://techterms.com/
Warranty Checks
- ASUS Products: https://www.asus.com/us/support/warranty-status-inquiry/
- Apple Products: https://checkcoverage.apple.com/
- Dell Products: https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us
- Google Pixels: https://support.google.com/pixelphone#warranty
- HP Products: https://support.hp.com/us-en/check-warranty
- Lenovo Products: https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/warranty-lookup#/
- Microsoft Products: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/warranty
- Playstations: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/warranties/
- Samsung Products: https://www.samsung.com/us/support/warranty/
Error Code References
- FTP Server Return Codes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_FTP_server_return_codes
- Google Chrome: https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/errors
- HTTP Statuses: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Status
- Microsoft Windows: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/debug/system-error-codes--0-499-
- SMTP (Email) Server Return Codes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_SMTP_server_return_codes
- SSL Certificates: https://badssl.com/
Information Security For Individuals
- Addressing Spam Calls: https://DoNotCall.gov/
- Cybersecurity Best Practices for Individuals: https://staysafeonline.org/resources/
- Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Resources for Individuals & Organizations: https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/all-resources-tools
- Dealing with Malware: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-remove-avoid-malware
- Dealing with Ransomware: https://www.nomoreransom.org/en/index.html
- Managing Identity Theft: https://IdentityTheft.gov/
- Reporting Scams: https://ReportFraud.ftc.gov/
- Tips & Advise for Working w/ Tech: https://stopthinkconnect.org/
What's New
May 15, 2024
- Added annonymous, aggregate web analytics to measure traffic and which options are clicked to better address and improve the most common technical issues.
May 10, 2024
- Added and organized content for `Tips`.
- Added and updated issue recommendations.
- Provided an issue request email for users who can't find a recommendation for their problem.
May 8, 2024
- Added and updated content for `Tips` and `Resources`.
April 30, 2024
- Added the ability to backtrack on the troubleshooting questions using the esc key.
April 25, 2024
- Added the ability to use the a, d, left, right, enter, spacebar and esc keys to navigate the menu.
- Added and updated content for `Tips`.
April 23, 2024
- Added content to the `Resources` option.
April 18, 2024
- Merged some of the troubleshooting prompts.
- Merged some of the tips.
April 13, 2024
- Got a new helper joining us in the website icon and header.
- Added a feedback email in the "About" section.
April 12, 2024
- The first edition of this website!
Terms & Privacy
- By using this website, you assume all liability resulting from any damages from following any advice given.
- This website does not sell your information.
- This website uses annonymous, aggregate analytics to measure web traffic and behavior in order to provide a better experience for everyone.
Copyright 2024