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IT is impossible that you should have a PC and it doesn’t act up every once in a while. Everyone’s PC loves to act up — whether it is a problem of the computer shutting down, every five minutes, browsers not working (where Messengers are), pop-up windows appearing every two seconds, the computer slowing down to an almost agonizing crawl and so on.

Those of us who are computer-literate to the point of efficiency can easily locate the problem and solve it. The majority of us who are not so fortunate have to dissemble the PC, load it in the car and cart it off to the nearest computer shop, where we are politely told that our hard drive will have to be re-formatted for the problem to be solved. No matter what the problem is, every time one arises, the PC has to be re-formatted. But, is it really so? Believe me, if you know the symptoms you can easily locate the problem yourself and hunt down the solution through a search engine. There isn’t any hard and fast course on “Tracking down the Symptoms of an Infected PC and Dealing with It.” But there are loads of websites which you can visit any time your PC looks like its come down with something (except of course when it is facing browser problems). That’s when you’ll have to rely on your friend’s or library’s or computer lab’s PC.

The best website to begin learning more about computers, and related problems is http://computing.net/. A very comprehensive website, this one has clearly categorized sections for efficient browsing. If you are researching certain symptoms your PC is showing, then the best section to visit first is the Forums’ Section. The different forums are categorized by the Windows’ Operating Systems as well as Linux, Unix, DOS etc.

There are separate rooms for Security and Virus and Gaming as well. Once you’re in the appropriate room, simply scroll through the messages to determine whether or not your area of concern has been covered already or not. If it hasn’t, you can simply register yourself as a user, and post your query. And someone will definitely solve your problem. If however, you want to learn a thing or two about computers in general then the “Articles and Opinions” section containing a range of the same written by technology experts and analysts will definitely suffice. Then, there is an extensive how-to section.

If you find that installing or updating certain software caused your PC to ‘crash’ then better check out this section, before carrying out any sensitive action on your PC. How-to articles have been divided into simple and advanced for your convenience. A related section is “Novice Section” where you can access how-to guides related to purchasing PC stuff, using the Internet and accessing digital music. And finally, check out the FAQ section to ensure that whatever query you are about to post on the forums hasn’t already been covered.

Another resourceful website is that of CNET Forums at http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-7600_7-5565323-1.html?tag=txt. All you need to do here is sign up to become part of a very diverse set of forums. There are many categories here along with the standard operating system category. Some of the interesting ones include Digital Media and Design, General Help and Software. It goes without saying that if you’re stuck with your PC, the best place to point your mouse and click is the General Help Forum.

Also, there is always the Microsoft Knowledge Base website at http://search.support.microsoft.com where you can search for any specific problem or piece of information using a very elaborate input form. You can also download critical security updates for various Microsoft products as well as your operating system, to avoid any virus attack or hijack attempts. Moreover, you can access help and support regarding various Microsoft products as well by poring through the troubleshooting guide and how-to articles.

A useful search engine to pinpoint problems and locate solutions is http://answerpoint.ask.com/. Simply write down your problem in a phrase and you will be directed to the appropriate websites to get your PC scanned and download the necessary software. If you already suspect your PC of being infected with spyware, for instance, you can directly access http://www.spywareinfo.com/ for remedies, for anti-viruses check outhttp://www.antivirus.com and to fight homepage hijackers and irritating pop-up windows you can visit http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html.

An important thing to remember at this point is that there are certain occasions when a hard drive format becomes inevitable. To safeguard against such a time, when you stand at risk of losing your important data, the best thing is to keep a backup of all the important files. Here, Yahoo’s briefcase at http://briefcase.yahoo.com becomes very handy. With 30Mb storage and a facility to create folders, you can easily upload your files there, categorize them in folders and access them if you lose the same on your hard disk.

For more sophisticated methods of file recovery, you can check out http://www.filerecovery.org/index.html. This website details the various different ways in which you stand at risk of losing your data such as mechanical and environmental factors and then guides accordingly as to how to create a backup file and store data. It also has a comprehensive guide on how to maintain your computer so you stand at the minimum risk of getting it infected with some unknown problems. Some of the steps mentioned here include avoiding cluttering up your hard disk with unnecessary stuff, checking occasionally for viruses and worms, and shutting down the computer properly.

Hopefully, now you won’t have to suffer through loss of important data and other multimedia stuff unnecessarily. And even when a hard drive format becomes inevitable, you’ll have a backup. Yes, life on a PC can be made a lot easier when you indulge in a constant self-study procedure.