How to Contact Microsoft About a Problem

Perhaps you come home stressed from a long day at work, and to top it all off, you find out that your Xbox isn't working. Perhaps your Zune is malfunctioning as well. Or your computer is giving you technical difficulties. Whatever the situation may be, the most logical choice is to contact Microsoft for help. Their technology experts can help you fix your problems and answer questions about Microsoft services and products.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer with Internet connectivity Telephone

Contact the Microsoft Customer Service and Support Department

1. Before you contact Microsoft, see if your the answer to your problem is answered in the Microsoft Help and Support Knowledge Base (see Resources); many problems can be fixed without the use of a Microsoft customer-service representative by doing a little research.

2. To contact them about a problem, use the Microsoft Help and Support Contact Us website (see Resources) to obtain the customer-service email you need for a specific product (e.g., Zune, Xbox, Windows XP, etc.).

3. You can also phone Microsoft at [phone] if you are in the U.S. or [phone] if you are in Canada. According to Microsoft, their customer-service hours of operation are 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Pacific Time Monday through Friday and 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pacific Time on Saturday and Sunday.

Tips & Warnings

• Occasionally, you will be redirected to another representative or website that specializes in the specific topic you need help with. For certain products, you may need to divulge your product key or product identification number to the customer-service representative so he may determine its warranty and version information.

Resources

• (1) How and When to Contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support
• Microsoft Help and Support Contact Us website
• Microsoft Customer Service Solutions Centers
• Microsoft Help and Support Knowledge Base