Chapter 7

Getting Help

Get ready to . . .

⇒ Search Windows Help and Support 110

⇒ Get Help Getting Started with Windows 8 112

⇒ Find Information about Using the Start Screen 114

⇒ Get Answers from the Windows Community 115

⇒ Switch between Online and Offline Help 117

⇒ Connect to Remote Assistance 118

With so many Windows features, you’re bound to run into something that doesn’t work right or isn’t easy to figure out (or that this book doesn’t cover). That’s when you need to call on the resources that Microsoft provides to help you out.

Through the Help and Support Center, you can get help in various ways, including the following:

⇒ Access information that’s stored in the Help and Support database. You can access this information whether you’re online or not. Logically enough, a database contains data; in this case, it contains information about Windows 8, organized by topics. You can search for or browse through topics using a powerful search mechanism to find articles by keywords such as printer or e-mail.

⇒ Read helpful articles. You can take advantage of several articles that provide insight into working with the Start screen and useful Help & How-To articles on the Windows website.

⇒ Search Microsoft Answers. Microsoft offers a way to search for answers in the Windows Forum to see if somebody else has had a similar problem. You can also ask a question yourself. A Microsoft employee will respond and give you advice when you post a question.

⇒ Invite someone to help you through Remote Assistance. Get help from another person by using the Windows 8 Remote Assistance feature.

Search Windows Help and Support

1. The Help and Support window provides access to a variety of topics. Press Win+F1 to display it (see Figure 7-1).

2. Click in the Search field, enter a search term, and click the Search button (the button that looks like a magnifying glass).

Figure 7-1

3. In the resulting screen shown in Figure 7-2, click an article to narrow your search or open an article, depending on the topic.

4. Click the Close button to close the Windows Help and Support window.

If your search contains one, click a Troubleshoot item (as shown in Figure 7-2) to get a step-by-step walkthrough of possible solutions to common problems. Some troubleshooting topics will even run a check on your computer to attempt to find a solution specific to your computer. In addition you may encounter some Video links that take you to step-by-step video instruction.

Figure 7-2

If you don’t find what you need with Search, consider clicking the Browse Help tab in the Windows Help and Support window to display a list of major topics. Those topics may also give you some ideas for good search terms to continue your search.

Get Help Getting Started with Windows 8

If you need a basic tutorial on how to use Windows 8, consider using the Getting Started section of the Windows website. Here you can find videos, blogs, and articles to help you get started. Press the Windows key to display the Start screen.

1. Press Win+I to display the Settings panel of the Charm bar.

2. Click Help.

3. Click the Get Started with Windows 8 and Start link (see Figure 7-3).

Figure 7-3

4. Click the Get Started link at the top of the page, as shown in Figure 7-4.

Figure 7-4

5. Click the Play button (see Figure 7-5) to play the introductory video.

Figure 7-5

Another way to get to some of these options is to simply go to http://windows.microsoft.com and select from the choices presented there.

When you first arrive at the Getting Started page shown earlier in Figure 7-4, take a moment to explore other links to read blogs or get more information on specific issues such as installing Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 10.

Find Information about Using the Start Screen

1. Because the Start screen offers an entirely new dynamic for Windows users, Microsoft built in three help topics to get you going. From the Start screen, press Win+I.

2. Click Help.

3. Click one of the three links at the top of the Help panel (see Figure 7-6).

Figure 7-6

4. Scroll through the article (see Figure 7-7). If you want to, click any links in the article to display related information.

Figure 7-7

Get Answers from the Windows Community

1. If you want to see how other Windows users have solved a problem, you can visit the Windows Forum and read posted messages and the solutions suggested by Microsoft and others. You can also post your own questions. Press Win+F1 to open the Windows Help and Support window, and then click the Microsoft Answers link.

2. On the web page shown in Figure 7-8, click in the Search field and enter a search term. Click the Search button to search for all answers.

3. Click the title of a question that relates to your question and read the answers (see Figure 7-9).

4. To ask your own question, click the Ask a Question radio button above the Search field (refer to Figure 7-8).

5. Enter a question and then click Ask.

Figure 7-8

Figure 7-9

6. On the following page, click the Sign In to Post a Question button (see Figure 7-10) in the bottom-left corner of the screen and enter a more detailed description of your problem or question. You may have to sign up if you haven’t used this site before, accepting the rules of conduct.

Figure 7-10

7. Change the title for your question if you wish. Click the Windows Topic field and choose the appropriate topic for your question from the drop-down list.

8. If you want to get an e-mail when somebody responds to your question, be sure the Notify Me When Someone Responds to This Question check box is selected. If this isn’t selected, you’ll have to return to the forum and check to see if any answers have been posted.

9. Click the Submit button.

It’s a good idea to roam around the forum for a bit before you post a question to see if it’s been addressed before. If you post a question that’s been answered several times before, you not only waste your time and the time of others, but you may find yourself the recipient of a bit of razzing by regulars to the forum.

Switch between Online and Offline Help

1. Much of the help and support you get from Microsoft for Windows these days is driven by their online content. If you don’t have an Internet connection but you need help, you do have an option. If you switch to Offline Help, you can work with the help system database built into Windows 8, though it may not be as up to date as the online help. Press Win+F1.

2. In the Windows Help and Support window, click the Online Help button (see Figure 7-11) in the lower-left corner.

Figure 7-11

3. Click Get Offline Help.

4. Enter a term in the Search field and click the Search button.

5. Click a topic to read more about it.

Connect to Remote Assistance

Remote Assistance can be a wonderful feature for new computer users because it allows you to permit somebody else to view or take control of your computer from their own computer no matter where they are. You can contact that person by phone or e-mail, for example, and ask for help. Then, you can send an invitation using Windows 8 Help. When that person accepts the invitation, you can give him or her permission to access your system. Be aware that by doing so you give the person access to all your files, so be sure this is somebody you trust. When that person is connected, he or she can either advise you about your problem or actually make changes to your computer to fix the problem for you. To use Remote Assistance, you and the other person first have to have Windows 8 and an Internet connection.

1. Enable Remote Assistance by typing control panel from the Start screen and clicking Control Panel in the results.

2. Click System and Security⇒and then under the heading System click Allow Remote Access.

3. On the Remote tab of the System Properties dialog box that’s displayed (see Figure 7-12), select the Allow Remote Assistance Connections to This Computer check box, and then click OK.

Figure 7-12

4. Enter the search term remote assistance in the Control Panel Search field.

5. Click the Invite Someone to Connect to Your PC and Help You, or Offer to Help Someone Else link.

6. On the window that appears, shown in Figure 7-13, click the Invite Someone You Trust to Help You link. If Windows Firewall or a third-party firewall is active, you may have to disable that feature to allow remote access to your computer.

Figure 7-13

7. On the page that appears, shown in Figure 7-14, you can choose to use your e-mail to invite somebody to help you. You have three options:

• Click the Save This Invitation as a File option and follow the instructions to save it as a file; then you can attach the file to a message using your web-based e-mail program.

• Click the Use Email to Send an Invitation option to use a preconfigured e-mail program to send an e-mail. In the e-mail form that appears, enter an address and additional message content, if you like, and send the e-mail.

• Click Use Easy Connect to get a step-by-step wizard to help you with the remote assistance process.

Figure 7-14

8. In the Windows Remote Assistance window, as shown in Figure 7-15, note the provided password and provide it to your remote helper. When that person makes an incoming connection, use the tools there to adjust settings, chat, send a file, or pause, cancel, or stop sharing.

Figure 7-15

9. When you’re finished, click the Close button to close the Windows Remote Assistance window.

Remember that it’s up to you to let the recipient know the password — it isn’t included in your e-mail unless you add it in the e-mail message.

If you no longer want to use Remote Assistance it’s a good idea to return to the System window of Control Panel and in the Allow Remote Access dialog box uncheck Allow Remote Assistance Connection to This Computer on the Remote tab.