Check what services are out there before you have a problem. Look over your computer maker's support site, but do it while everything's still working and you're not angry or frustrated. Dell, Compaq, HP and Gateway, among others, have elaborate online support sites for their customers; most also have e-support programs that ship with most or all of their PC models.Software makers such as Microsoft, Sun and Oracle also have online support sites, as do smaller, niche software companies such as CyberSource, InstallShield and Wind2. Some may charge per-incident fees, but many don't. "Many of the niche companies do an outstanding job, even though they may have limited resources," Tarter says. In addition, many independent sites have sprung up in recent years, providing help for a fee, such as Voyus.com.

When you have a problem, determine the product at fault. Contacting the company you bought the machine from is good if the problem is hardware-related — but if it is a software program, you'll have to start over again with the software company. The majority of computer problems Dell encounters are software-related, and users are sent to the software companies. When you are dealing with a software company, you'll have an easier time fixing the problem if you know the specific product at fault.

Search for a solution in an e-support site's knowledge base or FAQ. The knowledge base (KB) or frequently asked questions (FAQ) section of a site often has the answer to your problem. Most of these sections are developed based on a company's history of customer support — that is, if someone else has encountered a certain type of virus, device driver issue or some other problem before, chances are you'll find a solution in the KB or FAQ. "You are leveraging the experiences of others who have had to deal with the same problem," says Frank Catalano, a Seattle-area marketing consultant and the author of "Internet Marketing for Dummies."

Try pasting part of your error message into a search engine. This unusual tip comes courtesy of Catalano, who lauds the results. You must paste the exact wording from your error message into the search box to make this work. A search engine such as MSN or Google will list sites that likely hold the answer to your problem, he says. Extra tip: The search engine that's part of a support site for your product might yield better results than a general search engine, Tarter says.I tried both general and site-based search engines with an error message I recently got when trying install a software fax program into Outlook. I actually got the best results from MSN, whose first link took me right to the Microsoft Outlook e-support page that provided the answer to my problem. (Note: Complete error messages often are too long for search engines to digest. Take the error message and whittle it down, keeping the main body of the message intact.)

Try chat or e-mail. If your PC problem is urgent, chat or e-mail should be one weapon you use to get back in a healthy mode. Used alone, it may not get you the urgent action you seek. But then again, during peak telephone call periods (roughly 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on both coasts) it may generate quicker action from a technician if you can effectively communicate your problem in writing. "If it isn't time critical, e-mail is a good way to go. You will almost certainly get a response within three to four hours," Tarter says.Many e-support sites prefer you to use their chat forms, so that you provide a technician the model number and other, specific details he or she needs. Dell has a Resolution Assistant e-support feature on most of its PC models; it provides diagnostic support and allows quick communication with a technician via chat. Dell also offers "Ask Dudley," a feature that is e-support's answer to "Ask Jeeves."

You are still welcome to use the phone. While it is increasingly preferred that you find a solution yourself online or use chat, e-mail or Web-support programs, you won't be derided if you still choose to use the phone. "We encourage our users to use whatever method is most convenient for them when contacting us for support," says InstallShield's Tyler Robinson. Adds spokeswoman Lynn Neillie about Dell, "We will not try to reach our [Web-based support] goals by discouraging people from using the phone. We have always offered phone support and we will always offer phone support."But at this point, your best bet going forward might be to forgo the elevator music and make calling a technician your last resort. For many common PC and software problems, online resources are right at your fingertips.