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"Sir, here's your computer and that will be $150."

You hesitate, pull your wallet out and slide your credit card, and wince as he takes your money. A few minutes later, he places your "fixed" computer on the counter, rattles off a long technical spiel about what was wrong, and finishes with a "have a nice day!" as your eyes glaze over and you carry your computer out the door.

With the ever-rising prices charged for computer support, many people make the decision to learn how to maintain their own computer. For these people, the best way to learn computer maintenance is to do computer maintenance. Listed below are several ways to actually get real training on how to maintain a computer.

By the Book: If you prefer to learn on your own, and you are good at self-learning, there are many different "how-to" guides on the internet that can walk you through basic maintenance procedures. You can also obtain technical support manuals through any bookstore or library. This is the least expensive way to learn. Additionally, you can learn at your own pace, and are not dependent on anyone else's schedule.

If you choose to self-learn, there are certain procedures that you should learn first: - Learn to avoid common mistakes made doing computer maintenance (1) - Learn software preventive maintenance including the usage of anti-virus, checkdisk/scandisk, disk defragmentation and backup/recovery (2) (3) - Learn hardware preventive maintenance such as keeping the computer internals dust free, moving computers, etc - Learn to perform simple hardware upgrades such as RAM upgrades, BIOS upgrades and hard drive installations.

Once you have become familiar with these procedures, especially the common mistakes made, start learning how to troubleshoot computer problems. You will definitely want to be familiar with the wide variety of troubleshooting utilities that can assist.

Find a mentor: The best way to learn computer maintenance is with a technically savvy friend. Ask your friend if they can show you how to perform basic tasks while taking notes. Afterwards, have your friend watch over your shoulder while you perform the task. You should follow the same 'outline' proposed above, but having someone show you how to perform the maintenance will probably help you better retain the information. If you can, I would highly recommend that you recompense your friend for their time.

Formal Education: One of the easiest ways to actually get hands-on learning is to sign up for a basic computer support course at a local college, university or technical school. Formal classes will provide the most thorough training; however, they will also be the most expensive. When choosing your school, you should ask a lot of questions to ensure the quality of the classes you will be taking. You should also ensure that you get all answers in writing.

Two of the most important questions you should ask are: - What percentage of hands-on training is included in the class? The more hands-on a class is, the more information you will probably retain. - What percentage of students obtain industry certification? Most computer courses are designed for students to obtain the CompTIA certification. If the certification rate of students is low, then you may want to find a different instructor.

Learning computer maintenance is easy, and whether you choose to self-learn, find a mentor, or go to school, your education will end up paying for itself. Good luck!

References: 1 - http://www.helium.com/knowledg e/130299 2 - http://www.helium.com/knowledg e/130289 3 - http://www.helium.com/knowledg e/130297

Learn more about this author, Alan Fernald.
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