Welcome to a new series of blog posts called "Tech Tip." In our Tech Tip series, we'll offer general and specific information to help you with anything tech-related.
Let's start with one question we hear fairly frequently: "Where can I find a user's manual for my computer?"
You may already know that computers don't arrive with user's manuals anymore. They may arrive with a "quick start guide," but that isn't the same as a user's manual. What can you do to find out more about using your computer?
Check the website of the company that manufactured your computer.
If you have a Mac, you can visit Apple's official support site , opens a new window . (In addition to this support site, Apple also offers a warranty service called AppleCare , opens a new window for many of their products. You can pay to extend that service for longer. This is called AppleCare+ , opens a new window .)
If you have a Windows computer, your computer could have come from one of a variety of manufacturers. For support for your computer, click on the name of the manufacturer of your computer, listed (in alphabetical order) below:
If the manufacturer of your computer is not listed above, visit your favorite search engine (whether it's bing.com , opens a new window , duckduckgo.com , opens a new window , ecosia.org , opens a new window , google.com , opens a new window , or some other search engine). Search for the name of your computer manufacturer plus "official computer support."
For general support for Microsoft products, visit this page , opens a new window .
When you find the support page provided by your computer's manufacturer, you can look on the page for the word "manual" or "user's guide," or you may see a search box near the top of the page (it may be labeled with a phrase such as "what can we help you find?" or "how can we help you?").
Some companies will immediately offer the option of online chat support, which can be an excellent option if you are comfortable using online chat to discuss your computer with a member of your computer manufacturer's official support team.
When you find the right place on the manufacturer's official webpage to search for help, if you have a specific question about your computer, type a phrase such as "computer won't turn off" in the search box (or in the online chat box).
Keep an eye out on this website for future "Tech Tip" blog posts from your St. Tammany Parish Library reference librarians. Or if you need immediate assistance, contact one of our reference librarians , opens a new window .