There was a time in my life when I couldn’t afford new gadgets and appliances or a repair technician, and the internet became my best friend. It’s rammed full of amazing resources for fixing nearly any gadget you can think of, and best of all, most of them are completely free.

7

AI Chatbots

For basic problems, I often try to use an AI chatbot. ChatGPT is particularly good for this as it feels like I’m speaking to a virtual customer support assistant. The conversation feels real-time, too, making it easier for me to get the information I need when I need it.

If I couldn’t solve the problem with ChatGPT’s basic advice, I can use the tool to go deeper. More often than not, I fix the issue before too long. If needed, the AI can find me resources online that I can use to fix the problem.

Perplexity is also ideal for solving issues. It feels less like a person than ChatGPT, and instead, it’s more like reading an article with a list of possible solutions, including videos it finds from the web. So, it’s better for more technical issues. I use both ChatGPT Plus and Perplexity Pro, and using them together helps me fix almost any problem. You don’t need both to fix your hardware issues, mind. I just happen to have subscriptions to both, so I can see how they work in conjunction.

Reddit is often my go-to for easy-to-solve problems. It’s a goldmine when I need assistance with my smartphone and computer, for example, or if I’m encountering problems with household appliances like coffee machines.

To find what I’m looking for, I normally type “[problem] reddit” or “site:reddit.com [problem]”. Then, I get a list of threads related to my query. This works most of the time, but I’ll use the Reddit search bar if it doesn’t. Given how vast Reddit is, you’ll find specific posts for nearly any topic, and often entire subreddits dedicated to specific hardware.

Though Perplexity has a social search feature, I don’t think it’s worth using in this situation. I also don’t use Quora, for the most part, as it doesn’t normally help me with repairing items.

Greg Salazar’s YouTube channel is a great resource for computer repairs. He has plenty of videos where he shows himself fixing gaming computers, which can be particularly helpful as it’s quite a niche problem to deal with.

While not all of his videos are specifically related to computer repair, those that are have been particularly useful from personal experience. I would still rather consult a technician for more complex problems, but his videos have given me an idea of where I should start.

In addition to gaming computers, Greg Salazar has a handful of videos where he fixes other kinds of devices.

4

Manuals and Blogs

I prefer reading to any other form of content consumption, and it’s often easier for me to go through manuals and blogs than to watch YouTube videos. I don’t need to put my headphones in, raise the volume, or constantly rewind the content.

For more technical problems, I often refer to the product’s manual to see if I’ve missed anything. Some brands have knowledge bases and resource centers, which can also be helpful. For example, Apple has an extensive catalog for issues I may not be able to find on Reddit.

Blogs have historically been a good way for me to find the answers to my problems, too.

Tool Dude Tony has a comprehensive catalog for repairing all kinds of items, including electronics. For example, he has some content where I’ve learned how to fix a washing machine. While some videos are quite old, they’re helpful reference points.

When I’m looking for technical advice, I want basic videos without random effects. This is one of the things I like about Tool Dude Tony; his content is straightforward and easy to follow. By watching this type of content, it’s indirectly an ideal way to get better recommendations on YouTube.

Some brands, such as Dyson, have official community forums. If I don’t find the answer I’m looking for on Reddit, I’ll head to the official community forums to try and find what I’m looking for. For more niche products that need repair, this is often the best option.

Some community forums require signing up before I can access threads, but this isn’t always the case. When using these communities, I can often receive support from an official team member, which can be helpful in identifying the root cause of the problem.

iFixit is one of the best free resources for finding repair instructions, and despite the name suggesting Apple products only, I’ve used this site to fix various other things. For example, the website has repair manuals for gaming consoles and refrigerators.

I like how iFixit has step-by-step instructions for repairing all kinds of models, making the instructions I receive more specific. Despite being comprehensive, everything is also easy to read and navigate.

If I’m unable to resolve the issue with iFixit’s recommendations, I can explore additional resources at the bottom of the page. I almost always find what I need before that, though.

In some cases, a repair technician is the only choice, but the internet offers so many amazing resources that you can solve almost any hardware problem. It’s also handy for getting into more technical issues. I wouldn’t do anything I don’t trust myself with, but for the most part, these resources are incredibly helpful.