Automated diagnostics, new online forums, and “Fix its” in Windows 7 help customers help themselves.

For routine computing issues, it’s not always convenient to call a customer support line and talk to a technology professional.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the software could fix itself, or at least point to the problem and suggest how you can fix it?

Increasingly, it can. And with the launch last week of Windows 7, Microsoft customers are finding a whole new world when it comes to getting software support at their fingertips.

Lori Brownell, general manager of Product Quality and Online Support at Microsoft, says support for Windows 7 is a real evolution from previous versions of the flagship operating system.

Traditional live support via the phone, e-mail and chat are still there, but so are a host of resources, many available through a new online forum. There is support through Twitter, a library of software “Fix its” that can solve problems with a single click, and other diagnostic and repair tools available directly through Windows 7 itself.

“Windows XP had little built-in support, and Windows Vista included some diagnostics to assess network connectivity issues,” Brownell says. “But Windows 7 truly reflects broad customer feedback that has enabled us to build a comprehensive set of resources that solve customers’ most pressing problems and even keep them ahead of potential problems. For example, Windows Update searches for updates, like driver updates, automatically.”

Support tools include:

• Windows Update:  automatically updates your software to help prevent problems
• Windows Action Center: includes more than 20 automated troubleshooters that are built into Windows 7
• Scripted diagnostics and solutions: through Fix IT solvecommon software problems with the click of a button
• Online Support: through Microsoft Answers provides peer to peer help, guidance from customer support experts and Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs)
• In the moment help:  through tweets to @MicrosoftHelps twitter handle
• Easier, more intuitive online resources such as the Windows Help and “How To” center and the solution centers available on support.microsoft.com

Full Story: Windows 7 The Next Generation of Customer Support Automated diagnostics, new online forums, and

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