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Upgrade Report [GeekTech: RTFM Part 2, Beyond the Printed Page - 06/29/2004]
GeekTech: RTFM Part 2, Beyond the Printed Page
Assoc. Ed. Alexandra Krasne In my last newsletter, I went through some fairly atrocious documentation. The e-mail I later received from frustrated geeks really drove home the point that bad docs can make what should be a simple, routine, and--dare I say--fun experience, dreadful. Even worse, if you buy a component and follow bad instructions that lead you to fry the thing, you are liable, not the manufacturer. So, with that warning in mind, I will delve once again into the strange and sordid world of documentation in the hopes of providing a little help where manufacturers don't. Medicine for Bad Docs Sure, the motherboard from that no-name vendor sounds like a good deal. But what happens when you need help and all you have is a half-translated photocopy? Most vendors don't want you to call them. (Just try to locate the tech support phone number!) To make sure you won't get the shaft, check out the documentation before you buy. Most retailers that sell motherboards will let you look in the box. Also, you can usually find out what you need to know, good or bad, online. So before you spend your holiday gift money on a new PC part, visit manufacturers' Web sites and check the forums. When I tested motherboards for a story in our March issue, I found the most helpful printed documentation to be a big setup poster with a detailed map of the motherboard and step-by-step information. For my other findings, read "Building a Better System": http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139302/15377828/516196/0/ Of the eight motherboards I reviewed, Gigabyte's board came with the best color poster, with clearly labeled jumper settings and a nifty map of the motherboard's layout. On Gigabyte's site, I easily found information on the motherboard model and a page where I could download drivers and the latest BIOS version. The company's Technical Service Zone is a handy place to post questions; you'll need to know the motherboard model, version, and BIOS: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139302/15377828/516197/0/ The Web site for a smaller vendor, Chaintech, provides a form that you can use to request support, but the site lacks a knowledge base and forums: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139302/15377828/516198/0/ Another motherboard vendor, Asus, lets you post questions to its Web site; however, you must have purchased a product and have its serial number handy to post your query: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139302/15377828/516199/0/ Intel has its own guide to installing a motherboard, complete with pictures: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139302/15377828/516200/0/ You can lurk in most vendors' forums without actually buying a product. This is a handy way to find out what the general public is saying about a product, so you can avoid buying a lemon. (Not all vendors have forums; be sure to check.) When In Doubt, Check Google A wise geek once told me, "If you can't find it on Google, it probably doesn't exist." Through Google, I've found a plethora of good information that goes beyond anything available in vendor forums or documentation. I plugged in "how to build a PC" and Google spat out several results. One was a site called Motherboards.org, with a handy article that covers how to build a PC: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139302/15377828/516201/0/ The article details the process of mounting your motherboard inside the case--something most documentation doesn't touch upon. Some of the information is out of date, but it's a good place to start if you've got a bunch of parts strewn around and you're scratching your head. Ars Technica also has a comprehensive guide to building a system.: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139302/15377828/516202/0/ If you've added new memory and now your system is beeping strangely and refusing to boot, plugging "PC beep codes" into Google will lead you to an answer. My search took me to a site called PC Hell that helped me decipher what those codes mean: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139302/15377828/516203/0/ Of course, not everything you find on the Web is up to date and accurate, so be sure to check out a couple of sites before using the information you find. Off to Google Groups If I strike out on Google proper, the next stop is Google Groups. You can search by a phrase or in a specific forum. One forum that's particularly helpful is 24hoursupport.helpdesk: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139302/15377828/516204/0/ I typed in "system building advice" and results ranged from resetting the BIOS to online PC shops to step-by-step building information. Typing in the same phrase and searching within all of the groups yielded much more information, but much of it detailed building cars and high-end audio systems in addition to PCs. Before you post your question on Google Groups, be sure to read up on how to make a good post: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139302/15377828/516205/0/ You'll also want to be up on the do's and don'ts of posting to Google Groups: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139302/15377828/516206/0/ The best documentation and the wealth of information on the Web won't guarantee that even the most mundane of PC maintenance and repairs will be trouble-free, but those things sure help. Read Alexandra Krasne's regularly published "GeekTech" columns: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139302/15377828/364536/0/ == "Money will not make you happy, and happy will not make you money." -- Groucho Marx "It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend." -- John Dryden |
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