Help Yourself:
"Although it's easy to pick up the phone and call that friend who always has an answer, or post a message to your favorite tech forum, you might want to take a few steps to try to solve the problem on your own—or at least be prepared with the information your geek in shining armor will need to troubleshoot the problem for you. Here are ten steps that can help you solve your problems faster.…"

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1544176,00.asp