Find help onlineError Messages

If your computer's throwing up an error message, make a precise note of what it says or use your cursor to highlight the message and press Ctrl and C to copy it. It may not mean anything to you, but error messages are a useful way to track down a solution to a specific problem.

Next, enter the error message into a search engine such as www.google.co.uk or www.yahoo.co.uk (type it or press Ctrl and V to paste it straight in), and press search.

Does not compute

In an ideal world, the first result will come up trumps. However, you may have to scroll through quite a few results, and maybe even pages, to find one that will be of use.

Don't give up — if you can't find anything suitable, have a go at typing a brief description of your problem and then running a new search. And if at first you don't succeed, reword your problem and try again; for example, use 'cannot' instead of 'can't', or simply rephrase your original query.

Using forums

Still looking for a solution? Then try searching our list of useful websites and forums on the 'Contacts' page. If the sites listed don't provide the answer to your specific problem you can post your question in one of the forums. Look for a link that says 'Forums' then follow the onscreen instructions to post your message.

Include the full details of your problem, including error messages and any relevant make and model information, and state which operating system (such as Windows XP) you're using. Bear in mind that the respondents aren't generally qualified computer experts.