Have you ever been so frustrated with your computer that you'd throw it out of a second story window if you could lift it? And then you had no technical support person to call and abuse? Or worse yet, maybe you had the help of a tech support team, but they just couldn't seem to help you.

Until now. StudentsHelp.org Consulting, an online organization founded in the summer of 1998, offers fast and free computer support and easy answers to all computer problems.

Two high school seniors, Neilesh Patel and Dan Brown founded the organization. Although they originally aimed to start a small company that would charge people for consulting, Patel said they changed their focus to be more competitive by offering "to volunteer free, effective and reliable computer assistance to fellow community members, nonprofit organizations and anyone else who needs it."

"As students, we wanted to be committed to community service," Patel said.

The organization answers e-mails from computer users all over the nation regarding technical problems, Patel said. It also offers free Web page design for non-profit organizations, free Y2K solutions and builds custom computers at cost. Only Internet design for commercial companies cost money (the fee is $100) which goes toward the improvement of the StudentsHelp.org's technology and Web site.

Patel and Brown said they wanted to target the average computer user: "The people who, if their computer broke down would be 'cheated' into paying $50 to fix a hard drive or $30 to test for Y2K compliance," Patel said.

The nine volunteer members of StudentsHelp.org all know a great deal about computers but no one person knows everything, Patel said. "After all, we are learning, too," he said.

But according to Patel, the team has yet to leave a question unanswered.

"Sometimes it takes two, three or even up to five times of correspondence to get the problem solved. But we have never not solved a problem," he said.

Patel and Brown, along with the other seven volunteers, guarantee that a technical question will be answered within 24 hours. The e-mails are checked three or more times a day and immediately forwarded to different members of the organization for quick replies.

For certain services, the group may also make house calls. Lenita Ellis, the director of a youth center near Stanford University, said she did not have a computer in her administrative office and, as a result, the office was very behind on their work. The office has a limited budget, so she hired StudentsHelp.org to build a computer.

Ellis gave them a check, they went out and bought the parts, brought them to her office, and, according to Ellis, "literally 'built' a computer for me."

She said StudentsHelp.org was very efficient. "I gave them a check on Thursday or Friday and I was using a computer in my office on Monday," she said.

Potential clients can reach them online through e-mail from anywhere in the country, and because they have no office yet, the members work from various sites. According to Patel, they are recruiting more members, and would like to expand volunteer participation all over the country.

Patel and Brown, as well as the volunteers, do not make any personal profit. Eventually, Patel said, they may advertise other organizations to make money. However, volunteers get to use their computer knowledge while gaining some experience.

Les Pasamonte, a new volunteer and the director of press releases for the organization, said he decided to volunteer for the experience. He's a computer science major who plans to go into engineering, and sees his participation in this organization as a good tool for gaining real-world experience in his field of study.

"I believe their work is good, positive and I feel I have a lot to contribute since I have an interest in computers," Pasamonte said.

Patel said that they have received very positive reactions from their users and from others in the business.

"Nobody has doubted our expertise. I think people gain a sense of our professionalism when they visit our site, so by that, people gain confidence in us," he said.

Ellis agrees. "They told me parts and costs like it is. There was no salesman song and dance," she said. "Now they e-mail periodically and check to make sure everything is working just fine."

The biggest problems are manpower and resources, according to Pasamonte. Because the organization has no profit, it is hard to expand and get newer technology. Also, not many people would devote time without receiving salary in return, he said.

According to Patel, the most common problems their users have are hard drive troubles. Many students have problems with deleted files, or misplaced files on their hard drive, he said.

Pasamonte added, "people just don't have patience with their computers." He also sites Y2K concerns among the most common.

But the group's most important concern is helping others solve computer nightmares.

"The guys are intelligent, prompt and really care about you," Ellis said. "They seem genuinely interested in helping and making sure you are happy with their work."

In the future, Patel and Brown hope to develop a huge network throughout the nation. They plan to keep the organization volunteer-based, hiring mostly college students who want the service opportunity and the consulting experience. They also would like to open a 1-800 tech support number.

Funding is the only thing standing in the way of these expansions, which will be implemented a little at a time, Patel said.

"We are both 17 years of age, with over 10 years of computing experience. And we believe that if we truly want to do this, then we are capable of setting aside the time for the organization."