Get Help Without Calling IT or the MS Help Line

I know why you are here. I can see into your mind and I know what you need. You are having a problem with the Microsoft Office suite. I see frustration, endless hours on the phone with the help desk operators, who ask you at least a dozen questions before they even think about answering yours. I see you searching for an asset ID tag or serial number of some kind. I see wasted time and energy.

OK, so that was a cold reading, mainstay of boardwalk fortune tellers for centuries past. I guessed if you were reading this piece you were either having a problem, or you anticipated that you will have a problem in the near future.

Most of us have had to call the help line at some point in our lives. Maybe it was at work, or maybe it was when your wireless router at home decided to stop sending out signals. It never seems to be a positive experience: bad hold music, endless questions, accents you may not understand, and dead end walls.

For whatever reason, you just can't call the help line. Maybe that smarmy guy down in IT treats you like a moron when you call, Or maybe you just can't afford to call the help desk at Microsoft (and yes, they do charge by the call now). Or perhaps you have had a traumatic experience with the help desk people in the past, resulting in a life-long phobia of phones. (Wait, that last one might just be me...)

Never fear! There is a wealth of places online where you can get help with your problems. Let's face facts: there are very few unique problems in the world of Microsoft office. Odds are if you have had a problem with a macro or database feature or embedding, then someone else probably has as well. And if you can find the question you may be able to find the answer too.

Support communities exist in many shapes and sizes, from basic answers written in plain English by other end users to places where questions are answered by dyed-in-the-wool techies who will take finding an answer to your question as a personal matter of pride.

The Pros of using online communities:

• Someone may have asked and gotten a variety of solutions to your problem.
• It is a low cost solution.
• You have the potential to build relationships and learn from other people in the community.

The Cons of using online communities:

• Someone may not have answered the question.
• The answer may not have been complete or multiple answers leave you with the potential for a glut of wrong answers.
• You may have to deal with spammers to find what you want.

Some excellent online communities where you can get help with your problems:

The Microsoft Online Help Community

Hey, calls may cost you money now, but the online help is still free. Mostly you can get stock answers here, but you can contact experts by e-mail if you need to.

The My Live Office Community

Cnet Microsoft Office Help Online

Any of these communities can help you to get the help you need, but don't discount another great resource, OfficeArrow. With access to hundreds of other office professionals and a resident expert open to taking questions (me), you can get the help you need here, even if you can't find it anywhere else.