Best companies to fix a failed computer

You sit down to work on your home computer, turn it on, and nothing happens. Or things move so slowly that you feel as if you could run a 5K before an application launches. Time to call tech support.

For users of Windows PCs, that's often not a happy moment. According to our survey of more than 4,400 owners of laptops, desktops, and Chromebooks, Dell—which was tied for the top among the Windows PC manufacturers—solved just 60 percent of users' problems. Although that's dismal, it's better than the other companies' records. For example, Acer and Toshiba solved only about 40 percent of problems. Phone and online support were rated inferior across all brands of Windows computers.

It's a whole different story when it comes to Apple computers. As in years past, the company shines when it comes to helping Mac users troubleshoot. Apple's phone and online support solved 81 percent of its users' problems, our survey shows, and earned high marks across the board.

Check our new Ratings for in-store tech support and manufacturer tech support.

Unlike with Windows computers, which generally get about a year of free tech support, Apple provides only 90 days of free phone support to Mac users. But the company ends up consistently at the top of our tech-support Ratings, possibly because it takes that valuable asset—tech support—and gives it away free over the life of the product at Apple stores, says Van Baker, research vice president for the Gartner Group, a research firm based in Stamford, Conn.

"Even as much as Apple invests in making their technology easy to understand, people still have questions," Baker says. "And when you give that valuable tech support away for free, people are delighted." Apple users love the company's Genius Bar, the free walk-in service provided at Apple stores, where 86 percent of user problems were solved.

Third-party support for Windows computers from Best Buy and Staples didn't fare as well as Apple. Still, those companies' success rates solving user problems were higher than those of the manufacturers of Windows PCs. And independent computer stores were actually on a par with the Genius Bar. The takeaway: If you're a Windows user with a problem, that local, indy computer shop on the corner could be just what you need.