Sometimes the most obvious questions are the hardest to answer. For instance, answering questions about our computer systems (besides the most obvious) is no easy task for most of us. But knowing the answers could save a great deal of heartache.

Before you decide to upgrade any of your software and before you need to get your computer repaired, gather basic information about software and hardware you already have. Recording details about your computer, printer, and operating system could mean the difference between disaster and inconvenience. When you know what you have and how it works, you can proactively and efficiently operate, troubleshoot, and maintain your own computer.

Effective departmental technical support people maintain an inventory and already know what they and their clients have, both hardware and software, as well as detailed networking information. Average users, however, tend to neglect this part or forget.

When IT-Computer and Printer Repair receives equipment for repair, we must determine exactly what needs repair. Because failure symptoms can sometimes be difficult for customers to describe, we expect a certain amount of "It's broken!" or "It doesn't work too well." But often when we are gathering even basic information over the phone, such as a printer make and model, customers simply don't know the answers.

Computer users tend to cluster into three broad categories: power users, novices, and the working majority.

Power Users: The power users, a relatively small group, know what they own, both hardware and software. They know how to install and configure both hardware and software. They tend to enjoy discussing technical issues and frequently help others. They are even willing to "experiment" with software, which might cause a serious crash. Occasionally, some power users lapse into a special language, for example: "I installed some SO VRAM to show 24 bit GIFs on my TFT LCD." (And silly you thought that there weren't already aliens on earth!) Usually, these people know how to help themselves when problems occur.

Novice Users: On the other end of the spectrum are the novice users who tend to be fairly nervous, often hesitating to ask questions, fearing to show their technical "ignorance." Novice users generally do not know how or do not care to install software, configure software, or even use an operating system well. These people rarely know what they have, in terms either of hardware or software. Novice users have a steep learning curve ahead of them, which can intimidate them into not learning about their machines.

The Rest of Us: The working majority, the largest group, used to know what we own. We might not have installed the operating system but we did install our applications. We configured the machine. And once our machine got stable and useful, we used it. But now our system has worked for so long, we no longer remember the details. And these details are, in fact, useless to us most of the time -- until our system breaks or needs an upgrade.

Gather the following information about your computer equipment and keep it in a small binder.

• Details about your computer system (see examples below)
• Details about your peripherals (printers, scanners, ZIP drives, monitor, etc.)
• A copy of your purchase invoice and packing list, to establish warranty
• A manufacturer's specification sheet (downloaded from their site)
• A copy of any extended warranty contract
• Details about any immediately acquired upgrades not included in the factory configured machine (e.g., more memory)
• Details about manufacturer announced hardware problems (see examples below)
• Details about your operating system (e.g., what is the exact version of your operating system, 9.02 or 9.0.4, and are you using virtual memory?)
• Details about your application software and patches (e.g., versions, date of purchase, etc.)
• Details about your email configuration (e.g., your mail host name, like blue.ucdavis.edu, etc. If you use PPP, then record the critical phone numbers and settings which get the connection to work.)
• Details about your networking configuration (e.g., IP address, subnet mask, domain name, etc.)
• Details about installed freeware and shareware
• A repair history
• University property number

Basic computer system details include the manufacturer (e.g., Dell, Apple), model number (Apple sometimes calls this the "Family Number"), and serial number. Be careful to locate the actual serial number and not numbers associated with FCC compliance or other manufacturing numbers.

Most serial numbers are on the back or bottom of the equipment although some printers insert the serial number inside the cover. Apple usually prints or engraves a serial number on the bottom or back of the machine beneath a barcode label. Sometimes there is also the Ethernet hardware address. On the iMacs the label is either on the bottom of the machine or inside the cover, where the keyboard and mouse plug in.

Further useful information includes vendor (where the machine was purchased) and vendor contact information (email, phone, Web site), date of receipt (something to establish warranty), and cost. Be aware that warranties start from the date of receipt, not the date when the machine is first used. People sometimes receive equipment in the summer, leaving it packed until first use in the fall, thinking the warranty then starts in the fall. But in fact they have just lost several months' use of the machine and its warranty.

Infrequently, hardware vendors find manufacturing defects long after hundreds of thousands of units have shipped to customers. At some point, because of customer dissatisfaction or basic honesty, a vendor will issue hardware alerts. Or product "recalls," under which the vendor will replace certain components for free.

Examples include Intel replacing Pentium processors which could make incorrect mathematical calculations. Hitachi replaced memory in some of its laptops a couple of years ago for free, even memory which had been purchased from a vendor other than Hitachi because certain memory would cause the machine to freeze.

Apple deals with such problems through their Repair Extension Authorization program. Recent examples include the PowerBook 5300/190 series, where almost all plastics were replaced because they had a tendency to break around the hinge. Another recent example involved some Performa 5200/5300 models, for which a bad chip on the logic board could cause intermittent freezing.

If you have a machine repaired under any type of vendor "recall," keep the repair details along with any other repair history.

Recording all of this information may seem like a lot of work, but trust me, it's well worth it. Take the process one step at a time, and soon your personal binder will be just as impressive as those records professional technology support folks seem to keep in their heads.