My first recommendation is education. No, I'm not suggesting that everyone who uses a computer needs to go out and get a college degree in computer science, computer engineering, or management information systems. However, it is very helpful to have a basic understanding of computer concepts, and you can often get such an understanding by taking a single basic course on computers, including non-credit courses offered by continuing education and lifelong learning programs. These courses can give you some insights into what might be causing any problems you run into. At the very least, they can help you eliminate simple problems.
Some folks learn better from reading than from listening.
Although it would be cheaper to borrow such a book from your local public library, you may find that computer books in public libraries go out of date quickly. If you find that your computer problems usually relate to a particular kind of hardware or software, you may want to pick up a book specifically on that subject. Unfortunately, no course and no book can prepare you to solve all computer problems, and that is where you will have to turn to other people, just as I turned to the programming aides in the late 1970s. It has become clich to refer to the household teenager or pre-teen as the resident computer guru, but you might find a helpful computer whiz among your relatives or friends. And as someone who has spent years trying to help computer users via telephone or e-mail, I can attest to how difficult that can be compared with helping someone in person.