Posting in Technical Support

When posting for assistance in this forum can you please give as much information as possible/is practicable. There's nothing worse than the first reply back being a request for more specific information because the initial post had insufficient to go on.

The basic stuff such as PC specification (for hardware problems) and Operating System (Windows, Unix, etc.), version, and also if you did anything just before the problem appeared, etc. is a good start

If it's a problem with a program then also give the version, was it newly installed, had it been updated, etc.

Please also try and be concise - if you're getting an error message, give as much of the message as you feel relevant - i.e. any error number and the main wording is usually fine. If nothing else this allows the techies to Google the message number or wording for a possible clue.

Thanks

Can I also ask if you are posting in the forum that you provide details on what you did to cause the problem allowing it to be reproduced.

It is also really helpful if you could say when the problem occurs; for example is it randomyl, is it every single time you do x, y and z or does it only occur when another application is running for exampe.

Finally it's really helpful if you can post the manufacturer, model and connection type (ie. USB, ethernet, parallel port) for a hardware problem you may be having.

This is really just about allowing people to save asking these questions first and therefore will allow you to get help more quickly.

Can I just add, when a thread has finished would the originator please close it? Otherwise it can be timewasting wandering into threads that no longer have any meaning.

Ta, ;)

I have something to say also. This is worth mentioning especially due to recent events (the shutting down of the general forum).

Can we please make sure that all posts are forum specific. I know it mentions it on other forums but not this one. I know its tempting to ask about why the general forum is down, but there are plenty of threads on it. Asking here won't yeild any additional help unfortunately. (Good to see so many people viewing the forum though!!! :lol:)

Finally, something about error messages, if it is a big error message then a screenshot may be easier to do than quoting it. The best way to do this is to select the error message box, press and hold 'alt' then press 'Print Screen'. You can then release the 'alt' button. Open MSPaint and paste into the window by going to 'edit' on the toolbar, then choosing paste, or Ctrl + V if you prefer. Save this image (preferably as a jpg) and then add it to your post.

Thanks. Hope I didn't bore you all too much!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mr_Me19

I have something to say also. This is worth mentioning especially due to recent events (the shutting down of the general forum).

Can we please make sure that all posts are forum specific. I know it mentions it on other forums but not this one. I know its tempting to ask about why the general forum is down, but there are plenty of threads on it. Asking here won't yeild any additional help unfortunately. (Good to see so many people viewing the forum though!!! :lol:)

Finally, something about error messages, if it is a big error message then a screenshot may be easier to do than quoting it. The best way to do this is to select the error message box, press and hold 'alt' then press 'Print Screen'. You can then release the 'alt' button. Open MSPaint and paste into the window by going to 'edit' on the toolbar, then choosing paste, or Ctrl + V if you prefer. Save this image (preferably as a jpg) and then add it to your post.

Thanks. Hope I didn't bore you all too much!

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I dont find that boreing at all ,just very technicle. I strugle a bit with reading and writing and feel privaliged to be amongst you ,but forget not that we have all not reached your leval of compidance ,however we do appriciate your patiance

Step by step walkthrough.


1)Click on the error message to bring it to the front of the screen. It will have a dark blue bar at the top of the window, and all others will have greyed out bars.

2)Press and hold the Alt key on your keyboard. While having this pressed press the key labelled “Print Screen”. It may also have the words “Sys Rq” underneath “Print Screen” with a horizontal line separating them.

3)There are two ways of doing the next part.

The first is to go to the start menu and click “Run”. In the box that appears type “mspaint” (without the quotes) and press enter. Paint will open up.

OR

Click the start menu and select all programs. Choose “Accessories” from this menu and then select “Paint”.

4)In this new window go to the toolbar at the top of the screen and click on “Edit”. In this drop down menu select “Paste”. (if you cant select paste then go back to the start and try again.

5)Save the file by going to the “File” menu at the top of the screen then choosing save. Remember where you save it as you will need to find it again.

6)Add the image to your post. If you are not sure about how to do that then go here: http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?t=11190

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mr_Me19

Step by step walkthrough.


1)Click on the error message to bring it to the front of the screen. It will have a dark blue bar at the top of the window, and all others will have greyed out bars.

2)Press and hold the Alt key on your keyboard. While having this pressed press the key labelled “Print Screen”. It may also have the words “Sys Rq” underneath “Print Screen” with a horizontal line separating them.

3)There are two ways of doing the next part.

The first is to go to the start menu and click “Run”. In the box that appears type “mspaint” (without the quotes) and press enter. Paint will open up.

OR

Click the start menu and select all programs. Choose “Accessories” from this menu and then select “Paint”.

4)In this new window go to the toolbar at the top of the screen and click on “Edit”. In this drop down menu select “Paste”. (if you cant select paste then go back to the start and try again.

5)Save the file by going to the “File” menu at the top of the screen then choosing save. Remember where you save it as you will need to find it again.

6)Add the image to your post. If you are not sure about how to do that then go here: http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?t=11190

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Brilliant idea, just to add though...

If you're on a laptop your print screen may be slightly different.
For instance, to print screen on my laptop I have to press the function button (not alt) and print screen. The rest of it stays the same though. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sapphire2803

Brilliant idea, just to add though...

If you're on a laptop your print screen may be slightly different.
For instance, to print screen on my laptop I have to press the function button (not alt) and print screen. The rest of it stays the same though. :D

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What you need to do is press Function + Print Screen + ALT.

The difference between pressing Print Screen (or Function + Print Screen on a laptop) and Alt+ Print Screen (or Alt + Function + Print Screen on a laptop) is that Alt takes a screenshot of the currently active window. Pressing Print Screen on it's own (or Function + Print Screen) takes a screenshot of the entire desktop which isn't what is needed usually.

Hope that makes sense :)

Sometimes we need to see what you see on your desktop and to do this you need to take a picture of the screen (called a screenshot). To do this:

1. If you want to take a screenshot of just one window or application, then press Alt+Print Screen. If you want to take a screenshot of the whole desktop, then press just Print Screen. Print Screen might be labelled as PrtScr on your keyboard - it's usually next to the Scroll Lock key. This will paste a screenshot into the clipboard.
2. Open Paint (got to Start->Accessories->Paint) and go to Edit->Paste it should past the screenshot taken in 1. above into Paint. Then you need to save it, as a JPG, to your computer (note where you save it).
3. Reply to the message on the forum, or create a new messgae on the forum. Click the little paperclip at the top of the window where you enter your message, click Browse and find your screenshot file, double-click it, then click Upload.
4. Note that you will need to have your screenshot approved by a Moderator before we can see it.

After all of that, your screenshot should appear attached to the message. Make sure there is no personal info on the screenshot as everybody will be able to see it.

Great tool for identifying your hardware:

http://www.cpuid.com/pcwizard.php

Tells you more than you would ever need to know about your system.