Sometimes you feel like your computers and networks are haunted. But when you try to expel them, you run into something even more frightening: technical support. Be afraid, be very afraid. All of us have dealt with technical support in some form or fashion. We live in a world where computers rule our everyday lives. Computers, as helpful and lifesaving as they are, can also become troublesome and irritating.

Getting help with your technical problems can be a regular nightmare. Operating system manufacturers pass off product support to hardware makers, who offer the bare minimum of help or point the finger at the installed software. Software vendors try frightening you off by charging more for the support than they do for the actual product. Call-center technicians offer bad advice from a standard check list of questions provided to them by their management. We have all heard one of the top items on that list. They start by asking you if you have rebooted the machine. Sure, strangely enough it does take care of the problem sometimes. But the issue almost always creeps back up again.

So, when you are tired of waiting or when it is more than just a reboot give us a call and we will resolve all your IT problems quickly and in plain English.

But if your up for some stress and frustration below are some tips to make your technical support experiences go a little smoother.

1. Stay mobile - Make the call using a cell phone, if there is one thing to avoid it is being tethered to a land line near your computer. That way, you can get other stuff done while you are waiting for a live person.

2. Timing - Try to reach support when the lines open up in the morning and the call queue is short. If your vendor offers 24/7 support, avoid peak call times, such as midmorning or just after dinner. Use alternate support routes such as e-mail support or online chat if your problem is not urgent. You might as well increase your chance of getting a solution that works.

3. Be prepared - While you're waiting, write down the serial number for your machine, your express service code, and your Windows product key and tape it to your monitor. Most PC makers put this information on a sticker attached to your system case in the most inconvenient possible spot. You may need to provide this number every time you call, so put it in a place where you can find it quickly.

4. Be fully prepared - If your machine hasn't completely given up the ghost, reboot the darned thing to see if you can re-create the problem, taking careful notes on everything you do along the way. Write down any error messages you encounter and don't leave out any of the messages and error codes. This could prove to be good as gold if you happen upon a talented technical representation.

5. Call Screening – Better yet, capture a low-res screenshot of every error message you get. If you don't already have a favorite screen-capture program Windows 7 now has a great tool called the Snipping Tool in its Accessories folder. If you still have Windows Vista or XP use the one inside Windows: Press Shift+Print Screen, open Windows Paint, select Edit+Paste, then save the screen in your documents folder with a descriptive title, such as "Error message when trying to start program. Missing dll file…" Then you can refer back to that screen and even e-mail it to the technician.