You have other alternatives besides waiting forever on the phone while your vendor's or ISP's technical support guys play with their Slinkies. Many, many resources are listed below. And don't forget about your local computer clubs. Many are free for anyone to join, and there's nothing like one-on-one, face-to-face tech support from someone local. You can find local user groups through The Association of PC User Groups at www.apcug.org/ and at the Network for Computer User Groups (www.user-groups.net/). Even Microsoft gets helpful at www.microsoft.com/mindshare/default.htm. And Win 98 users can access their built-in glossary by going through Start, Run and typing GETSTART.CHM. Press Enter; choose the Contents tab and choose Glossary. ME/XP users can access the same file by going through Start, Help (ME) or Help and Support (XP) and typing "glossary" in the Search box; click either Go or the green arrow, select "Glossary of Windows terms," "Glossary," or "Windows Glossary," depending on what your system provides you.

1-800 Batteries (nothing but batteries, most every kind imaginable; now part of the iGo network)
www.1800batteries.com/

15 Seconds (nice source of high-level tech help and info)
www.15seconds.com/

2Wire (good place to find out if your area has high-speed Internet access, but asks for unnecessary personal info)
www.2wire.com/

24 Hour Support (lots of good technical info here, including plenty for the novice computer user and Web designer)
www.24hoursupport.com/

32bit.com (message boards and forums; stronger on hardware than software)
www.32bit.com/

3D Spotlight -- OS Updates (good site for finding Windows 98/ME/XP updates)
www.3dspotlight.com/tweaks/updates/

404 Research Lab (great site to explore the various ways to handle the 404 Error page)
www.plinko.net/404

5 Star Support (excellent site that offers a comprehensive amount of technical info, tutorials, newsletters, and forums -- you go, Vince!)
www.5starsupport.com/

8Wire (forum for networking professionals)
www.8wire.com/

The 911 Rescue CD
www.911cd.net/

About.com (if you don't mind a good bit of poking around, you can usually come up with some answers from this site; there's more here than you might think)
www.about.com/

Active Network (huge and well-organized site for all flavors of Windows, even the Xbox)
www.activewin.com/

AdamKB@AOL.COM (links to multiple help sites within AOL, for AOL users)
members.aol.com/adamkb/

All Internet Security (nice directory of links)
www.all-internet-security.com/

Allen's WinApps List (lots of MSIE add-ons)
www.winappslist.com/internet/plugins.htm

AllExperts.com (free Q&A site)
www.allexperts.com/

Almost Every File Format in the World (alphabetical listing of file extensions)
www.ace.net.nz/tech/TechFileFormat.html

AnandTech (reviews of new CPUs, motherboards, and video cards)
www.anandtech.com/

Andrew's PC Help and Consulting Pages (lots of good links)
www.pchelpandconsulting.com/

Annoyances (a comprehensive set of Windows Registry hacks are here, along with a compendium of info and tidbits)
www.annoyances.org/

Answers that Work (go here for lots of tips, how-tos, and documents)
www.answersthatwork.com/

AOAForums (lots of forums for the overclockers and hardware geeks among us)
www.aoaforums.com/

AOL Sucks (lots of dirt on America Online)
www.aolsucks.org/

Arne's Unwired Internet Diary (good site for wireless info)
www.unwired-i.net/

Ars Technica (large, extensive technical info site, and an excellent resource for DIYers)
arstechnica.com/

Ask Mr. Excel (take your Excel questions here)
www.mrexcel.com/

Ask-a-Tech
www.ask-a-tech.org/

Association of Personal Computer User Groups (go here to find a PC user group in your area)
cdb.apcug.org/loclist.asp

Axcel16's Max Speed Windows Tricks, Secrets, and Bug Fixes
www.mdgx.com/

A-V Test (go here for test results on antivirus programs)
www.av-test.org/

Badlinks (links to, and news about, alternate operating systems, including Macs, BeOS, Linux, etc.)
www.badlinks.com/

Bandwidth Place (lots of info and test programs)
bandwidthplace.com/

Bart's Bootdisks (downloadable boot disks for everything from SCSI devices to CD burners to Win NT4, with more on the way)
www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/

Bart's Guide to Creating Bootable CDs (an excellent source of information on the subject)
www.nu2.nu/bootcd/

Beemer's Windows Tips
www.beemerworld.com/tips/

Bell Labs Text-to-Speech Synthesis (go here to see what's shaping up for the future of text-to-speech computing)
www.bell-labs.com/project/tts/voices.html

Ben's Internet and Windows Tips
www.gv.net/~ben/

Benchmark HQ (site for finding tools for your own utility CDs; find the latest news related to new benchmark software and updates related to the currently released benchmark software)
www.benchmarkhq.ru/

BetaNews (breaking news on all sorts of software)
www.betanews.com/

BIOS Central (guide to all things BIOS)
www.bioscentral.com/

BIOS Setup Information Guide
sysopt.earthweb.com/bios.html

BIOS Survival Guide
burks.bton.ac.uk/burks/pcinfo/hardware/bios_sg/bios_sg.htm

Black Viper's Web Site (personal site with lots of Windows and Linux info)
www.blkviper.com/

Blog Spot (publish your Web logs, or "blogs," here)
www.blogspot.com/

Blogdex (hub of Blog information)
www.blogdex.com/

Blogger (center of the "Blog" universe; go here for plenty of info on Blogging, how to make your own Web logs, where to post them, and more)
www.blogger.com/

Bob Cerelli's Windows Page (an excellent site for Win info)
www.onecomputerguy.com/

Books24x7 (IT and technical manuals online - why buy when you can read them online for free?)
www.books24x7.com/

Bootdisk (rescue site for those of us needing/missing a boot disk)
www.bootdisk.com

Brian's Buzz (includes WinFind, a search engine that hunts through 14 well-known technical assistance sites for information)
www.briansbuzz.com/

Broadband Reports (find broadband connections in your area)
www.broadbandreports.com/

Broadband Reports: Tweaks (tweak your broadband connection)
www.broadbandreports.com/tweaks/

Broadband Wireless Exchange Magazine
www.bbwexchange.com/

Bugnet (clearinghouse for bug-related news and information)
www.bugnet.com/

Bugs and Fixes (links to PCWorld's online posting of their Bugs and Fixes columns for the past four years, not recently updated)
www.spanbauer.com/bugs.htm

Bugtraq (security info site)
www.securityfocus.com/

Builder.com (formerly Devhead; useful resources for Webmasters)
builder.com.com/

Building a Fresh New Win98 Machine
www.troubleshooters.com/tfresh98.htm

Burning CDs in Windows XP (everything you need to know on the topic)
aumha.org/a/xpcd.htm

Cable Modem Help
www.cablemodemhelp.com/

Cable Modems (lots of tutorials, Registry tweaks, speed and security advice, and more)
www.cable-modems.org/

Caso Inc. -- One Stop Computer Help Site
www.casoinctexas.com/

CD Burning Basics
go.hotwired.com/webmonkey/00/38/index4a.html/eg20000915

CD Freaks (home base for a group of CD-burning and recording enthusiasts)
www.cdfreaks.com/

CD -- The Inside Story (lots of articles on how CDs work. These articles are rather old but still informative)
home.mira.net/~gnb/mac-cdis/index.html

CD-Recordable FAQs (newsgroup FAQs, outrageously complete)
www.cdrfaq.org/

CERT Advisory (official security info site)
www.cert.org/

CDR Info (lots of news and info on recordable CD's)
www.cdrinfo.com/

Cellmania: Mobile Internet (find sites for your Net phone)
mfinder.cellmania.com/

Clarion for Windows Tips
www.compguy.com/cwtips.htm

Classic Computer Magazine Archive (magazine archive presently focusing on old Atari mags)
www.atarimagazines.com/

C|NET (a big, splashy "techie portal" full of useful information and links)
www.cnet.com/

Common Sense Security (good overview of computing security)
www.markkaren.com/markkaren/security/

CompInfo (lots of high-tech stats and info)
www.compinfo-center.com/

Computer Basics and Beyond (nice help site)
www.computerbasicsandbeyond.com/

Computer Consulting 101 (helps small business computer consultants sell more computer consulting services and boost their profits)
www.computerconsulting101.com/

Computer Corner (online presence of the weekly radio show)
www.datadoctors.com/corner/

Computer Crime Research Center (non-profit organization focusing on cyber-crime, cyber-terrorism, and other computer crime issues and research)
www.crime-research.org/

Computer Emergency Response Team (good source of info on PC-related security issues)
www.cert.org/

Computer Gripes (just what it says, and well documented)
www.computergripes.com/

The Computer Guy Tips and Tricks
www.bestcomputerguy.com/tips_&_tricks.htm

The Computer Lady - Tips and Troubleshooting for Computers
www.computerladyshop.com/

Computer Magazine Archive (large ZDNet site of over 200 archived technology publications)
cma.zdnet.com/

Computer Manufacturer's Support Numbers (phone and e-mail listings for most major PC makers)
support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;en-us;oemphone

Computer Stupidities (fun, and true, compendium of insane calls to tech support lines)
rinkworks.com/stupid/

Computer Glossary of Terms
www.5starsupport.com/info/glossary.htm

Computer Tips
www.ctips.com/index.html

Computer Tutor (nicely designed site with lots of valuable info and an emphasis on fun things to do with your critter)
www.personal-computer-tutor.com/

Computer5 (comprehensive computing dictionary)
www.computer5.com/

Computers of Tomorrow (well-designed site combining computer sales, free info and tutorials, and custom graphics creation)
www.computersoftomorrow.com/

Computing Research Repository
xxx.lanl.gov/archive/cs/intro.html

Computing.net (lots of forums and sound advice)
www.computing.net/

The Converter's Paradise (go here for hundreds of file conversion utilities and information)
hem.spray.se/joakim.slettengren/

Corel Software Patches and Fixes
www.corel.com/support/downloads/

Counterexploitation (go here for security updates, anti-spyware info, and more)
www.cexx.org/

CPPFAQ (home to the comp.periphs.printers newsgroup; lots and lots of printer info here)
www.cppfaq.com/

Currents Magazine Windows Tips
www.currents.net/magazine/national/wina_index.html

CyberAtlas (great source for Internet statistics)
cyberatlas.internet.com/

Da Lan Tech (networking and computer news)
www.dalantech.com/

Damn Puters (well-named novice and intermediate help site)
www.damnputers.com/

Database Journal (site for database info)
www.DatabaseJournal.com/

Dave's Guide to Buying a Home Computer
www.css.msu.edu/PC-Guide/

David Chalk Online Tips
www.chalk.com/

David McRitchie's Excel Pages (excellent source of info and tutorials on Excel)
www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm

Design News Online (web presence of the venerable hardware/engineering journal)
www.designnews.com/

Desktop Publishing -- About.com (tons of info on desktop publishing, word processing, and more)
desktoppub.about.com/

Developer.com (now part of Earthweb)
www.developer.com/

DevGuru (good site for ASP, HTML, Java, CSS, and other scripting programs)
www.devguru.com/

Device Manager Error Code Lists (just what it says, and useful for those who need it)
website.lineone.net/~phoenix_uprising/Sniper/Sniper.html

DevX (lots of info for developers and serious code warriors)
www.devx.com/

DevX Get Help (a forum for IT professionals, not for the novice -- great source for info on development issues with Win NT, C++, Delphi, etc.)
www.devx.com/gethelp/

DigitalNowhere (comprehensive Windows site)
www.digitalnowhere.com/

Display Calibration (go here to calibrate your monitor)
www.displaycalibration.com/

DLL Downloads (download DLL files)
www.dll-downloads.com/

DLL Help Database (Microsoft-based DLL support page)
support.microsoft.com/servicedesks/
fileversion/dllinfo.asp?sd=TECH

A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Turning Old LP's Into New CD's
www.scaruffi.com/music/cd.html

Documentation of Gator Advertisements and Targeting (excellent anti-Gator site)
cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/edelman/ads/gator/

Domain Guru (large site for info on available domains)
www.domainguru.com/

Doom9 (good place for info on backing up and working with DVDs)
www.doom9.org/

Dotcom.com (huge source of info on Web news, domain names, etc.)
www.dotcom.com/

Doug's Windows 95/98/ME/XP Tweaks and Tips (mostly Win XP, but a goodly about of other systems are noted herein)
www.dougknox.com/

DriverFiles (free driver downloads)
www.driverfiles.net/

Drivers Headquarters (excellent site, but now you have to pay to register)
www.drivershq.com/

Drivers On-Line (find software drivers)
drivers.on-line.net.nz/

DriverGuide (over 58,000 drivers available here)
www.driverguide.com/

DriverSearch
www.driversearch.com/

DSL Reports (site that compiles info on DSL in all its flavors, as well as online DSL testers)
www.dslreports.com/

DSL Reports: Tweaks (several methods for improving your DSL performance)
www.dslreports.com/tweaks/

Dux Computer Digest of PC Hardware and Software
www.duxcw.com/

DVD Demystified (most questions about DVDs can be answered here)
www.dvddemystified.com/

DVD FAQ (monthly revision of the rec.video.dvd [Usenet] DVD FAQ. Lots and lots of info here.)
www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html

EarthWeb (large resource for IT professionals and those who venture into this area)
www.earthweb.com/

EasyDOS (a guide to using DOS -- lots of definitions, tips, walkthroughs, and so on)
www.easydos.com/

EasyWindows (a guide to using Windows -- lots of definitions, tips, walkthroughs, and so on)
www.easywindows.com/

EE Times (tech journal for engineers and technical management)
www.eetimes.com/

The Elder Geek (lots of XP Registry tweaks, among other things)
www.theeldergeek.com/

Event ID (go here to identify Windows error messages)
www.eventid.net/

Every File Format in the World (lists just that)
whatis.techtarget.com/fileFormatA/
0,289933,sid9,00.html

Everything USB
www.everythingusb.com/

ExcelTip.com (tips for Excel)
www.exceltip.com/

Exchange Experts (a "knowledge community" that requires you to register, but whose service is free and expansive)
www.experts-exchange.com/

Exp.com (a fee-based service that offers advice on everything from PCs to gardening)
www.exp.com/

Expertcity.com (a fee-based "ask the experts" site)
www.expertcity.com/

Extreme Tech (PC Magazine tech portal with lots of info and interactivity)
www.extremetech.com/

Extreme Tech Syscheck (security page with lots of info on viruses and security protocols)
www.extremetech.com/category2/0,3971,13370,00.asp

FAT32 Resources (plenty of info on FAT32 and other file systems)
www.project9.com/fat32/

Fatal Exception Errors (Microsoft KB article)
support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;150314

File Extension Search Engine (look up any file extension here)
extsearch.com/

File Library (archives a treasure trove of shareware, DOSware, OS2ware, and all kinds of info and downloads)
www.filelibrary.com/

FireWire Info
www.askfor1394.com/

Flash Developer Resource
www.flashkit.com/

Flash Thief (get help for using Flash on your Web site)
www.flashthief.com/

FMS Computer Training (lots of info on a plethora of computing issues)
www.barrett.net/

Frank Condron's World O'Windows (a truly indispensable site, but sadly AWOL)
www.worldowindows.com/

Fred Cohen and Associates (lots of security and privacy information, though you have to deal with the relentless promotion of Fred's services)
www.all.net/

FOLDOC: Free Online Dictionary of Computing
foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/index.html

FreeAnswers (good source of Microsoft and other related techie info; you ask your question and the site queries the proper vendor site)
www.freeanswers.com/

FreedomList (up-to-date postings of free and cheap ISPs around the globe, along with pros and cons)
www.freedomlist.com/

FreeNetworks.org (for people to get together and learn more about how to set up a "free network")
www.freenetworks.org/

FreeTechMail (site that compiles listings of dozens of useful e-zines for one-stop subscribing)
www.freetechmail.org/

FreshMeat (formerly DaveCentral; now a tech portal)
freshmeat.net/

F##k Microsoft (okay, the name is juvenile, and the anti-Microsoft slant is obvious, but there's a lot of good tech info here, especially for those of us who are experiencing problems using Microsoft wares -- and isn't that all of us?)
www.f##kmicrosoft.com/

FutureHome Guild (home of the FutureHome Guild, which exists to help connect home users to computer/network professionals)
www.fhome.com/

Geek.com Technical Glossary
www.geek.com/glossary/glossary_search.htm

George Guninski Security Research (home page of a well-known Internet security expert -- lots of tips and info here, but not a site for the novice)
www.guninski.com/

Gibson Research Center (lots of resources and info to fight the good tech fight)
www.grc.com/

Gizmo Richards' Tech Support Alert
www.techsupportalert.com/

Gord's Recipe For A Faster, Better Behaved Windows 98 (good place to start tweaking Win 98)
users.accesscomm.ca/gbraun/w98/

GotDotNet (all kinds of info on Microsoft's new .NET initiative)
www.gotdotnet.com/

Glossary of Technical Terms
support.microsoft.com/support/glossary/

GuidesCentral (formerly PC Technicians; a how-to site mostly directed at high-end users and corporate networks)
www.guidescentral.com/

Hacker News Network (lots of news and opinions about security issues)
www.hackernews.com/

Hard Disk Drives
www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/index.htm

Hardening your E-Mail Against Viruses (lots of info for older Outlook, MSIE, and Office users)
www.handango.com/

HardOCP (overclocking news and info, not for the uninitiated; check out the forums)
www.hardocp.com/

Hardware Analysis (reviews of peripherals and gadgets, as well as interviews, links, and more)
www.hardwareanalysis.com/

The Harrow Technology Report (often-fascinating reports on cutting-edge technology that affects computing)
www.TheHarrowGroup.com/

Help.com (C|NET-based technical help site)
www.help.com/

Help Drivers (another good site for various drivers)
www.helpdrivers.com/

Help2Go (lots of advice and tutorials)
www.help2go.com/

Henry Markus’s Home PC Firewall Guide (good source of info for home firewall users)
www.firewallguide.com/

HP Learning Center (free online, instructor-led courses)
www.hplearningcenter.com/

I Do Windows
www.idowindows.com/

I Love Eudora
www.idowindows.com/

Identifont (site that helps you find and identify fonts)
www.montfort.org.uk/Eudora/

Identify an Unknown PCI Device (MS KB article)
support.microsoft.com/?kbid=298837

Indiana University Knowledge Base (computing info base)
kb.indiana.edu/

Infopackets (novice-friendly Windows tech help site)
www.infopackets.com/

InfoSysSec (central site for plenty of password crackers, hacking tools, and security programs)
www.infosyssec.net/

Infoworld (computer and IT news)
www.infoworld.com/

Inside Outlook Express (excellent OE site)
insideoe.tomsterdam.com/

Instant Network Boot Disk (create a network boot disk)
www.nick-christou.org.uk/bootdisks.htm
or www.qualit-uk.com/

International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (great place to get a glimpse of what lies ahead in computer technology)
public.itrs.net/

Internet Explorer Home Page
www.microsoft.com/ie/

Internet FAQ Consortium (a central site for the FAQs of yea dozen newsgroups and online organizations)
www.faqs.org/

Internet for Beginners (just what it says; good compendium of info from About)
netforbeginners.about.com/mbody.htm

Internet Hoaxes
ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html

Internet Public Library (the closest thing to an actual online library)
www.ipl.org/

Internet Public Library Ready Reference Collection
www.ipl.org/ref/RR/

Internet Scambusters
www.scambusters.org/

Internet Tips and Secrets
www.internet-tips.net/

Internet Traffic Report (just what it says)
www.internettrafficreport.com/

IT Reviews (professionally done reviews of IT products)
www.itreviews.com/

IT Toolbox Windows Knowledge Base
windows.ittoolbox.com/

Jan's Illustrated Computer Literacy 101 (fine source of introductory material)
www.jegsworks.com/Lessons/index.html

Jan's Web Work and Experiments (source of Web design and computer info)
www.jegsworks.com/index.html

Java Lobby (all things Java are covered here)
www.javalobby.org/

Java Tester (site which helps you straighten out your browser's Java configuration)
www.javatester.org/

Jem of a Tip (Win 95 and 98 tips -- old but still useful)
users.aol.com/jemyers/jem_tip.htm

Jungo.com (large site for USB, PCI and ISA driver development tools)
www.jungo.com/

Kamputec (directory of links designed to find device drivers and system tools, along with modem help, hardware help, tech magazines, and networking centers)
www.kamputec.com/

Karl's PC Device Drivers Site
www.karldavis.com/

Keir.net (home of Rob Keir's freeware utilities, a small but very useful group of elegantly coded, eminently usable programs; not for the beginning user)
www.keir.net/

Kelly's Korner (slick, well-organized help site for 98 and XP)
www.kellys-korner.com/

Kim Komando's Komputer Klinic: Windows (very novice-friendly)
www.komando.com/

Kruiser's Tips and Tricks (comprehensive tech site for all flavors of Windows, Web authoring, hardware, other software, etc.)
www.geocities.com/kruiser59/tipsandtricks1.html

LabMice (very well organized site focusing on Win 2K, XP, and .NET)
www.labmice.net/

Life With Computers (plain-spoken help site)
www.widger.com/

Light Reading (lots of news, job listings, opinion, reviews, etc.)
www.lightreading.com/

Lindows (keep up with this Windows-friendly version of Linux)
www.lindows.com/

List of the Keyboard Shortcuts That Are Available in Windows XP
support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q301583

LiveManuals (if you're missing the manual to your PC, cell phone, coffee maker, or other piece of equipment, check here)
www.livemanuals.com/

Lockergnome (highly useful daily or weekly newsletters, discussion groups, etc.)
www.lockergnome.com/

Lotus Support
www-306.ibm.com/software/lotus/support/

Mad Onion (lots of free tools and an upgrade advisor, among other things)
www.madonion.com/

Magnet (Brazilian tech site in Portuguese)
www.magnet.com.br/bits

MajorGeeks (large, wide-ranging site)
www.majorgeeks.com/

MalekTips (easily browsed tips on just about any PC-related subject)
malektips.envprogramming.com/

MC Network Windows Tips and Links
www.mcnetwork.com/windows.html

McAfee AntiVirus Center (lots of info, glossaries, and more)
mcafee.com/anti-virus/

McAfee Dispatch (up-to-date virus info)
dispatch.mcafee.com/

Members Helping Members (an AOL-only message forum covering a wide range of tech issues)
Keyword: Members Helping Members

Microsoft Business Seminars
www.microsoft.com/seminar/

Microsoft Compatibility Site (to find out whether or not particular hardware or software will work with a particular Microsoft product)
www.microsoft.com/windows/compatible/

Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Online
msdn.microsoft.com/default.asp

Microsoft Download Center
www.microsoft.com/msdownload/

Microsoft Insider (lots of info on Microsoft products)
www.microsoft.com/insider/default.asp

Microsoft Insider Learning Center (useful tutorial area that offers a number of free courses for Microsoft Windows XP, FrontPage 2000, Internet Explorer 6.0, and Visio 2002)
www.microsoft.com/insider/learning/default.asp

Microsoft Internet Developer Magazine
www.microsoft.com/mind/

Microsoft Knowledge Base
support.microsoft.com/ or
search.support.microsoft.com/kb/c.asp
Sign up for e-mail alerts for new KB articles as they appear at
www.kbAlertz.com/
Note that Microsoft is changing the way Knowledge Base is set up by purging the "Q" prefix from their articles. Find out more from support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;[ln];kbnumb.

Microsoft's MVPs (site stuffed with info provided by newsgroup users on Microsoft's various Usenet sites)
www.mvps.org/

Microsoft Newsgroups (MVP-staffed info site; click on the Newsgroups menu item for Web access)
support.microsoft.com/directory/

Microsoft Office Developer Site
www.microsoft.com/officedev/

Microsoft Office Resource Kit Site
www.microsoft.com/office/ork/home.htm

Microsoft Office Template Gallery (go here for newly released MS Office templates)
officeupdate.microsoft.com/templategallery/default.asp

Microsoft Office Update
officeupdate.microsoft.com/

Microsoft Personal Support Center (get help from "Maxwell," who processes your questions and answers you with a group of short responses that seem to best answer you)
support.microsoft.com/support/default.asp

Microsoft Research Center
research.microsoft.com/

Microsoft Security (lots of info about Microsoft-related security issues)
www.microsoft.com/security/

Microsoft Support Forum Network
www.msfn.org/

Microsoft Technet
www.microsoft.com/technet/ Also check technet.microsoft.com/cdonline/default.asp for free access to much of the $299 TechNet CD subscription software series by just filling out a short questionnaire.

Microsoft Typography Group (free fonts, tools, and utilitles)
www.microsoft.com/typography/default.asp

Microsoft Windows CE
www.microsoft.com/windowsce/default.asp

Microsoft Windows Update
windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Microsoft Windows Update Troubleshooter
v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/troubleshoot/

Mister Driver (source of drivers)
www.mrdriver.com/

Mobileplanet (large online store devoted entirely to mobile computing)
www.mobileplanet.com/

Modem FAQS
modems.rosenet.net/

Modemhelp (FAQs, installation tips, etc. for modems)
www.modemhelp.com/

ModemHelp.net (more modem info)
www.modemhelp.net/

Motherboard.org (an excellent resource for motherboard owners and tweakers; among other things, it features many, many BIOS upgrades and a resource called Mobot, a tool that lets you "build" the best motherboard for your needs.)
www.motherboards.org/

Ms. Geek (techie info from a female perspective)
www.msgeek.org/

MSN Bandwidth Speed Test (test your Internet connection's bandwidth speed; now on Insanity.com)
www.insanity.com/coolspeedtest1.htm

The Naked PC (biweekly newsletter full of tips, news, and advice columns)
www.thenakedpc.com/

Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide (lots of speed-boosting tips for cable and DSL users)
cable-dsl.home.att.net/

Neowin (new, extensive tech portal with lots of freeware and info)
www.neowin.net/

Net-Integration (lots of news and information on security and other issues)
www.net-integration.net/index.html

Netcraft (tells you what Web server platform any public Web site is using)
www.netcraft.com/

NetLingo (go here to find out the latest computer industry buzzwords)
www.netlingo.com/

NetMechanic (run your Web site's code through the free HTML Toolbox to find glitches)
www.netmechanic.com/

Network Storage Buyer's Guide (coming soon)
www.storageguide.com/

New Order (online catalog, forum, and newsletter dealing with ins and outs of networking security)
www.neworder.box.sk/

No Wonder (large, varied computer technical assistance site)
www.nowonder.com/

Noel's Home Page (lots of Windows and Net resources)
noeld.com/

O'Reilly and Associates (the site of a large computer book publisher, featuring much of their content online as well as a varied library of resources)
www.oreilly.com/

OfficeLetter (tips on MS Office)
www.officeletter.com/

Ojatex's Laptop Tips
members.aol.com/ojatex/

Olate (tutorials, scripts, downloads, forums, and more)
www.olate.co.uk/

OldVersion (find old versions of dozens of programs here, including MSIE, AOL, and lots of others)
www.oldversion.com/

Online Computing Dictionary (includes a search function for those odd techie terms)
www.InstantWeb.com/D/dictionary/index.html

Only4Gurus (Microsoft-oriented tech site)
www.only4gurus.com/v2/index.asp

The OS Files (great source for alternative OS information)
www.theosfiles.com/

Outlook and Exchange Solutions Center
www.slipstick.com/

Overclockers
www.overclockers.com/

Overclockers UK
www.overclockers.co.uk/

Palm Gear HQ (large site devoted to software and accessories for PalmPilots)
www.palmgear.com/

Panda Software Virus Encyclopedia
www.pandasecurity.com/virus-encyclopedia.html

PatchDayReview (info on Microsoft patches)
www.patchdayreview.com/

Paul Thurott's SuperSite for Windows (slick, informative site)
www.winsupersite.com/

PC Guide (enormous site spawned from an attempt to organize FAQs from the alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt newsgroup; lots and lots of info, including walkthroughs and reference guides for every PC component known to man)
www.pcguide.com/

PC Hardware Guide
www.karbosguide.com/

PC Help
www.pchelponline.com/

PC Magazine (excellent informational site; unfortunately, they now charge for downloading their freeware)
www.pcmag.com/

PC Mechanic
www.pcmech.com/

PC Pitstop (good diagnostic site -- pull your machine in to an empty bay and let the boys test 'er out; unfortunately, it's an MSIE-only site. Now affiliated with PCWorld)
www.pcpitstop.com/

PC Show and Tell (over 6000 video lessons for a number of popular apps such as PowerPoint and Win98; requires the download of a specialized media player, but the download is free. $30 membership required, but a 30-day free trial is available)
www.pcshowandtell.com/

PC Sympathy (tech portal)
www.pcsympathy.com/

PC Technology Guide
www.pctechguide.com/

PC Tips (lots of informative forums available here)
www.pctips.com/

PC Webopaedia (computer-oriented online encyclopedia)
www.webopaedia.com/

PC World Magazine
www.pcworld.com/index.asp

PC World Online Tips
www.pcworld.com/heres_how/

PC911 (lots of PC info here, along with message boards and the usual extras)
www.pcnineoneone.com/

PCQandA.com
www.pcqanda.com/

PDA Buzz (resource for PDA users)
www.pdabuzz.com/

PDAgold (site devoted to Microsoft-based handheld devices)
www.pdagold.com/

Perfect Drivers (lots of drivers and driver info here)
www.perfectdrivers.com/

PowerPoint FAQ
www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/

PowerPoint Lifeguard (lots of resources for PowerPoint users)
www.powerpointlifeguard.com/

Power Surfer's File Extension Page (find out what those obscure file extensions are here)
powersurf.esmartweb.com/exten.htm

Practical Technology
practical-tech.com/

Practically Networked (lots of networking info, much of it quite technical)
www.practicallynetworked.com/

Process Library (find out what all of those processes running in the background of your PC are)
www.processlibrary.com/

Protonic (fast, free tech support)
www.protonic.com/

Pure Performance (tweaking site)
www.pureperformance.com

PuterGeek (friendly and comprehensive tech support info)
www.putergeek.com/

Puters R'Us (good tech resource as well as a merchandising site)
www.putersrus.com/

Ralph Caddell's Home Page (some good troubleshooting tips here)
www.ralphcaddell.com/

Redneck-Puters (obviously these guys don't take their task too seriously, but they have a ton of good info available)
www.redneck-puters.com/

Refill-FAQ (info on refilling printer cartridges)
www.refill-faq.de/

Regedit - Windows Registry Guide (now part of Winguides)
regedit.com/

The Register (one of the great sources of computing news and info)
www.theregister.co.uk/

Registry for Newbies
newbieclub.com/rfncopy/?infopackets

Resource Management (good site for startup and memory management tips)
www2.whidbey.com/djdenham/

The Risks Digest (keeps an eye on high-tech threats to your computer and your well-being)
catless.ncl.ac.uk/risks

Rob Rosenberger's Computer Virus Myths
www.vmyths.com/

Saltmeadow (comprehensive security site, with info and downloads)
www.saltmeadow.com/privacy/

Scumware (keeps an eye on malicious codes that hijack or wreck Web sites)
www.scumware.com/

The Secret Guide to Computers (book-related Web site; very well-written and comprehensive)
secretguide.net/

Security Focus (multiplatform portal with news on security and virus issues, mailing lists, forums, and more)
www.securityfocus.com/

Serial ATA (outlines the specifications of this new hardware standard and how it will affect your future computing)
www.serialata.org/

SG's MVP site (good source of help and info)
mvps.org/dts/index.html

Shell Extension City (tons of hacks that let you tweak Windows interface settings; also links, message boards, and Windows hacking information; for advanced users)
www.shellcity.net/

Silicon Valley News
www.siliconvalley.com/

Simtel (huge source of free- and shareware)
www.simtel.net/

SitePoint Webmaster Resources (great site for Webmasters, and besides, I write for these guys!)
www.sitepoint.com/

Slashdot (online community of techies and computer types)
www.slashdot.org/
Also check out Alterslash at www.alterslash.org/ for an unofficial "Slashdot digest."

Smart Business Online (formerly PC/Computing Magazine)
www.zdnet.com/smartbusinessmag/

Smart Computing (online presence of the monthly publications -- lots of info here)
www.smartcomputing.com/

The Software Patch (provides all kinds of software updates and patches, along with plenty of info and how-tos)
www.softwarepatch.com/index.html

SpeedGuide (lots of good stuff to jazz up your OS, including a very good assortment of downloadable patches and upgrades)
www.speedguide.net/index.shtml

Spyware-Guide.com (provides information about spyware and adware)
www.spywareguide.com/

Spyware Info (a plethora of info on the latest Internet annoyance)
www.spywareinfo.com/

Startup Content (find out about the program extensions and cryptic handles that crop up in your Startup routines)
www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.htm

Startup Problems (lots and lots of useful info here about startup problems and how to make them go away)
www2.whidbey.com/djdenham/Uncheck.htm

Startups (good source of info and software to manage your startup process)
www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.htm

Station-Drivers (French site for BIOS updates, drivers, firmware, utilities, and more)
www.station-drivers.com/

Steve's Windows 95 Tips and Tricks
www.y-city.net/users/sstover/

Stimulus (not a technical help site per se, but an excellent site to see how sophisticated Web design techniques can be put to use)
www.stimulus.com/

StorageReview (lots of data on various storage drives -- hard, floppy, CD, DVD, and the like)
www.storagereview.com/

Svrops (high-level info for LAN administrators, IT professionals, and the like)
www.svrops.com/svrops/default.htm

Sylvain's Technical Support (includes a webring and site posting for links)
mytechsupport.ca/

Symantec's AntiVirus Research Center
www.sarc.com/avcenter/hoax.html

Symantec Technical Support (help for Norton/Symantec products)
www.symantec.com/techsupp/

Sysinternals (lots of technical info and downloadable utilities)
www.sysinternals.com/

SysOpt (large, knowledgable online community of PC experts, now part of Internet.com)
sysopt.earthweb.com/

SysOpt's Discussion Forum
sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro

System Optimization PC Hardware and Performance Guide
www.sysopt.com/

The Tech Board
www.thetechboard.com/

Tech Comedy (tech support calls from hell)
www.techcomedy.com/

Tech Support Alert (slightly dated guide to Web's best tech support sites)
www.techsupportalert.com/

Tech Support Guy (lots of active forums with plenty of useful information and dialogue)
www.helponthe.net/

Tech24.com (large, free help site staffed 24/7 by MCSE-certified and A+ techs, offering free virus scanning and assistance on both hard- and software-related issues)
www.tech24.com/

TechEncyclopedia
www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/

TechIMO (large technical community, with plenty of opinions being bruited about)
www.techimo.com/

Technocopia (expert reviews on the latest gadgets, written in plain English)
www.technocopia.com/

Technology Driven Radio (Web site for the Canadian techie radio show)
www.todradio.com/

Technology Review (MIT's site for emerging technologies)
www.technologyreview.com/

Techstation.com
www.techstation.com/

TECHtionary (Flash-driven online technical dictionary that often gives you animated illustrations of a phrase or concept)
www.crosstouch.com/techtionary/index_in.html

Tek-Tips (free, for the moment, technical advice)
www.tek-tips.com/

TechTracker (collection of sites that monitor app and driver updates for Windows and Palm systems)
www.techtracker.com/

TechTV (online presence of the cable television network)
www.techtv.com/

TechWeb (good portal for all things computing)
techweb.com/

Techzonez (a "PC Tech" community with strong, active forums)
www.techzonez.com/

Ted's Technical URL Listings (tons of links to technical sites)
techurls.tripod.com/techurls.html

Think Computers (site for modifying the look, feel, and function of your machine)
www.thinkcomputers.org/

Tips for Avoiding Computer Crime (suggestions on password selection, virus protection, firewalls, backups, etc.)
www.rbs2.com/cvict.htm

Tom's Hardware Guide (an excellent source for chipset information, etc)
www.tomshardware.com/

Tom's Hardware Guide: Mainboard Guide: The BIOS
www7.tomshardware.com/mainboard/99q1/990208/index.html

Tomsterdam (good site for Outlook Express information)
www.tomsterdam.com/

Trip Tech (site devoted to mobile PC users)
www.worldroom.com/pages/triptech.phtml

Trish's Escape from Hardware Hell (good-natured help site, lots of links and good info)
hardwarehell.com

The Trouble With Windows (all kinds of Windows problems are addressed here)
www.angelfire.com/wi/windowstrouble/

Troubleshooting Microsoft Windows
www.windowsgalore.com/

Troubleshooting Windows XP
www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Tweak Files (a Web site compendium of hardware and software tweaks of all kinds)
www.tweakfiles.com/

TweakUS (excellent XP tweak and tip site)
tweak.us

TweakXP (another excellent XP tweak and tip site)
www.tweakxp.com/tweakxp/

The Ultimate Browser Archive (this site has every Web browser I've ever heard of, and plenty more)
browsers.evolt.org/

Ultimate Silicon Valley Slang Page
www.sabram.com/site/slang.html

UltraTech KnowledgeBase Viewer (excellent searchable knowledge base)
www.ultratech-llc.com/KB/

Understanding and Getting Around in DOS
w3.aces.uiuc.edu/AIM/CCSOcourses/DOS-rev.html

Understanding DVD Formats
www.dvdirect.com/TSS/charts/DVDFormats.htm

Unicore Software (sellers of BIOS upgrades for obsolete motherboards and out-of-business manufacturers)
www.unicore.com/

User Groups on the World Wide Web (info and locations of local PC users' groups)
easyrsvp.com/ugotw/

The Useful Site (many, many areas of information to delve into here)
www.salokin.demon.co.uk/index.html

VCD Helper (want to make video CDs? go here first)
www.vcdhelp.com/

Vindigo (Palm-friendly informational site for indexed cities in the U.S. and Britain)
www.vindigo.com/

VirusList (very comprehensive virus listings)
www.viruslist.com/

Warp2Search (up-to-date news on tech products, software, Web happenings, and driver revisions)
www.warp2search.net/

Wayne's Computer World (good help site)
www.waynescomputerworld.com/

Wayne's Windows XP Resources for Administrators and Users (also has NT and 2K help sites)
is-it-true.org/nt/xp/index.shtml

WAP Forum (official site of the official WAP industry association)
www.wapforum.org/

Web Host Magazine and Buyers Guide (good resource to find a Web host suitable for your needs)
www.webhostmagazine.com/

Web Hosting Stuff (directory of over 5900 web hosting plans)
www.webhostingstuff.com/

The Web Masters Den (excellent searchable site for info of use to Web masters)
www.webmastersden.com/

Web Standards Project (a grassroots coalition fighting for standards that ensure simple, affordable access to web technologies for all)
webstandards.org/

WebAttack (a shareware producing site that doubles as a reviewer of others' work, and tough critics they are -- definitely worthy of your attention)
webattack.com/

Webdeveloper.com (good resource for Webmasters)
www.webdeveloper.com/

WebEx (how to host your meetings online)
www.webex.com/

WebMonkey (excellent source for Web development information
hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/

Webopedia (combines a dictionary of computer definitions with a search engine for more info)
webopedia.internet.com/

WebTalkGuys (online home of the radio program; lots of useful advice and an extensive archive are available)
www.webtalkguys.com/

Weendoggy's Home Page (odd but useful source of tech tidbits, most notably a very good walkthrough of the hard disk reformatting and repartioning process, and an equally good explanation of the installation and upgrading of the various Windows versions)
members.aol.com/weendoggy/

What Is? (an enormous encyclopedia of computer definitions, etc.)
whatis.techtarget.com/

What is MSCONFIG?
www.netsquirrel.com/msconfig/

What Is My IP Address? (find out the answer to that question instantly)
www.whatismyipaddress.com/

Where Is It? (compendium of technical sites, links, reviews, etc)
dubber6.tripod.com/whereisit/

Wi-Fi Network News
www.wifinetnews.com/

Wim's BIOS Page (identifies your particular motherboard and informs you of the proper BIOS upgrades available to you; plenty of other BIOS-related info available)
www.www.wimsbios.com/

Win2KPowerUsers
www.win2kpowerusers.com/

Winbeta (find out what's in Microsoft's product pipeline)
www.winbeta.org/

Windows 95+98 Forum
www.katho.be/freeware/win95board/win95board.html

Windows 95 Annoyances
www.annoyances.org/win95/

Windows 95/98 HQ (now part of C|Net)
winfiles.cnet.com/

Windows 95 Tips & Tweaks (lots of resources here, if you can plow through the numerous frames and Java-heavy coding)
www.gate.net/~jsharit/windows_95/win95tips_and_tweaks.html

Windows 95 Tips, Tricks, & Undocumented Features
www.32bit.com/hyper95/get/rumor.html

Windows 95/98 Support
www.cwdixon.com/support/win98_support/index.htm

Windows 98 and Windows Me Error Message Resource Center
support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;315854

Windows98-L Technical Discussion (Win98 discussion group)
windows.ittoolbox.com/groups/groups.asp?v=WINDOWS98-L

Windows BBS (gobs of info and support options in this message board)
www.windowsbbs.com/

Windows Guide Network (lots of info, mostly on the Registry, scripting, and security)
www.winguides.com/

Windows Help
www.helpwithwindows.com/index.shtml

Windows IT Library (guide to Windows management)
www.windowsitlibrary.com/

Windows NT/2000 Resource Center
www.bhs.com/

Windows Online Crash Analysis (submit your system crash info and find out why it happened...maybe)
oca.microsoft.com/welcome.asp

Windows Registry Guide
www.winguides.com/guides.php?guide=registry

Windows Reinstall (info on installing and reinstalling all flavors of Windows)
www.windowsreinstall.com/ or
www.winstall.com/

Windows Shutdown and Restart Center (very informative site)
www.aumha.org/a/shutdown.htm

Windows Support Center (a reliable and comprehensive source of Windows info)
www.aumha.org/

Windows Tech Files
www.infinisource.com/techfiles/index.html

Windows Tip of the Day
www.wugnet.com/tips/

Windows Tips Search Engine (search 14 tips sites for information)
briansbuzz.com/search/

Windows XP Documentation Update (a Windows Help update that installs a help file with information on securing your system)
support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q327/4/05.asp

Windows XP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/

Windows XP FAQ (info on XP; retired but still valuable)
www.winsupersite.com/faq/whistler.asp

Windows XP Mania
dave-partridge.com/

Windows XP Shutdown Troubleshooter
www.aumha.org/a/shtdwnxp.htm/

Windows XP Tips (also tips for other Windows versions)
www.tipsdr.com/

Windows XP Tweaks
www.blkviper.com/WinXP/supertweaks.htm

Windows-Help.net Support BBS (huge Web-based message board)
www.windowsbbs.com/

WinDrivers (good source of drivers for Win-based apps)
www.windrivers.com/

WinGuides (focuses on Registry, scripting, and security issues)
www.winguides.com/

WinPlanet (beautifully designed site for those looking for patches, drivers, or info)
www.winplanet.com/winplanet/

WinPortal (lots of Win 2K info)
www.winportal.com/

Winsock Applications
cws.internet.com/

Wired Safety (great place for info about keeping your computer, and your family, safe while you surf)
www.wiredsafety.org/

Woody's Office Portal (help for users of Microsoft Office and other Microsoft products)
www.wopr.com/

Woram's Registry Page (not for the novice, but lots of good info here from a recognized Registry guru)
www.woram.com/

Word Rescue (can recover lost Word documents, for a price)
www.word-rescue.com/

WordPerfect Universe
www.wpuniverse.com/

World of Windows Networking (lots of info about networking PCs, some of it rather technical)
www.wown.com/ or
www.helmig.com/

World Wide Web Consortium (not a site for the fainthearted -- the beating heart of the World Wide Web)
www.w3.org/

Wotsit's Format? (another very techie site, with lots of info about file formats and other even more arcane bodies of PC knowledge)
www.wotsit.org/

Wugnet (Windows Users Group)
www.wugnet.com/

X-bit Laboratories (real-world computer hardware comparisons and news)
www.xbitlabs.com/

XML.com (source of information about HTML's successor, XML)
www.xml.com/

Your Windows NT Resource
www.jsiinc.com/

ZDNet (a huge techie site featuring all the resources of the Ziff-Davis publishing group)
www.zdnet.com/

ZDNet: Help & How Do I...? (large, well-organized help site)
www.zdnet.com/zdhelp/

ZDNet: Help & How To: Ask the Experts (community and message forums, many moderated by experts)
www.zdnet.com/zdhelp/filters/subfilter/0,7212,6001997,00.html

ZDNet: Help & How To: Windows Quick Start Guide
www.zdnet.com/zdhelp/filters/quickstart/
windows/0,9918,6001487,00.html

ZDWebopedia
www.zdwebopedia.com/

ZDNet's Windows Page
www.zdnet.com/windows/