Vista - How to ask for help

This may be a silly post, but the fact that is posted at all says there is a problem.

I see a lot of posts, especially from "newbies" asking for help without providing basic details. First off we can’t help if we don’t know what the problem is; and we can’t figure out the problem without some basic information such as systems specs and a clear understanding of what the problem is. It is the lack of these two basic things that causes posts to be ignored or incorrectly diagnosed!

Below are three examples of bad/problematic questions. Some were re-worded as not to embarrass.

Example 1:

"Can anyone help me, I was playing Crysis today and all of a sudden the game froze. I have a HP Presario xxx with Vista premium. Can anyone tell me how to fix it?"

This problem can be caused by any number of issues. System specs along with a little more info, such as error codes might help narrow down the problem and eliminate unnecessary steps, or purchases, like buying a new video card, only to find it didn't fix the problem. Doh!

Example 2:

"The Postmaster said my mail box is nearly full! I have a lot of messages in my sent Items folder, but Vista won’t let me delete them!? What do I do now?"

This question is so vague that it leads to more questions than answers. This is an easy post to ignore!

Example 3:

"Help a friend of mine has vista ultimate 64 and has been getting a lot of bsods lately I told him he needs to stay away from vista as it’s the worst thing since hell but he insists that vista is a good os and has gotten a bad wrap but yet he still has bsods and don’t know to get rid of them can someone tell me what to look for to help him since he really doesn’t know computers all that well he as a gateway he bought from best buy with 2gig of memory and a intel cpu and ati 2600 video card thanks"

While you might laugh and think no one would make such a post, I can assure you, I’ve actually helped someone with a post like this. And believe me, it wasn’t fun.

While I’m certainly not going to belittle anyone on their grammar, I would ask that you use at least the basics such as capitals, periods, and paragraphs. A post like the one above is certainly hard to read and understand without them, and in all likelihood, be ignored! Please do not be offended if asked to "fix" your grammar. This only helps to clarify what you’re trying to say or ask.

Part two of the above post is that now we’re working third party, which can get very confusing. If you’re going to ask a question for a friend, be prepared to have all the pertinent information as well as the ability to work with the machine.

The bottom line is if you want people to help you, you need to help us by providing clear concise questions with all the pertinent information for us to make a more accurate diagnoses of your problem.

Remember we don’t physically have your computer in front of us thus the information you provide goes a long way in the quality, time, and accuracy, of your answers/suggestions/help.

While we can’t guarantee your problem(s) will be solved, you can rest assured that the best possible solution will be offered based on the info you provide.

Here are a few suggestions to help us help you:

- Let us know your level of experience with computers.

- Be as specific as possible about the issue rather than saying "it doesn't work" or "It crashes a lot".

- What were you doing when the problem occurred?

- Provide as much information on any error message(s), etc as possible.

- List any steps taken to duplicate or cause the problem and what you’ve tried to fix it.

- Provide as much information as possible about your PC - System specs, OS you are running, etc.

- Use the "System Specs" box under your User Control Panel. This helps to ensure all the pertinent information is listed.

- Likewise don’t list your system specs under your first post, if the thread turns ten pages long, your specs get buried.

- If you do not know the specs of the PC, but it was purchased from a PC manufactures or retailer, provide a link to the model showing the system specs.

- If the problem is solved, tell us!

One last thing, don’t get mad at someone if they remind of some basic forum etiquette such as hijacking posts, privately posting numerous members for help, or posting the same questions in various forums.

These are rules we all have to live by, and are clearly stated when you read??? The forum rules before being allowed to sign up.

Again, help us help you

Thanks.

My two cents

sygnus21

This ought to be sticky IMHO.

I second that

Done

Thanks guys. Just voicing my thoughts.

But it is oh so true. Another post similar is this one here.

And if you don't mind, I am linking to this in my sig!

~Lordbob

Being a Newbie myself, I felt it was not my place to make such a post but I see this happening everywhere and I think the post is spot on.

My problem is that sometimes I go overboard and post way to much, to the point of obnoxiousness...

@lordbob75, Wow, I get to be part of your sig Thanks!

@AstaLaVista, LOL. having read some of my posts, you know I can get long winded.

I really appreciate the praise from you guys.

Thanks

What exactly does that mean?

Lol. Really though, great post, I have already refered someone to it. Thanks for the info.

~Lordbob

LOL - Its all good