Hi and welcome to itsallpc

If you’ve been linked here, it’s because your post lacks information. Please take the time to read this.

When you’re posting for help, it can often be quite difficult to provide solutions with the information you give us. By including the information suggested here, and following the general guidelines, you can be assured faster more accurate help.

Before posting

It may be that your problem is very simple, and doesn’t really require an expert’s advice. For the following problems, you will always be asked these questions. If the answers are yes, and it didn’t help, please include it in your post. If you cannot answer a hardware related question, download CPU-Z. It's a small stand-alone download that doesn't require any installation.

Any problems related to graphics hardware:
Have you installed the latest graphics card drivers?
Have you tried the graphics card in another machine?

For an increasingly slow system:
Have you run a virus scan with most recent pattern file?
Have you run a spyware scan with most recent pattern file?

For a piece of crashing software:
Did you try reinstalling the software?
Have you tried closing down all other applications and simulating the issue?

For a generally unstable system:
Have you reinstalled Windows?
Have you run a memory test? (I recommend Memtest86+)
Have you scanned your hard disk drive for defects?

Include general system information.

This applies to every help request. Although you may not believe it relevant, it enables us to profile your system more accurately, and give appropriate directions where necessary. General system information includes:

• Windows version and service pack, eg Windows XP Professional SP2
• Processor type, speed and supplemental information, eg Athlon 64 3200+ skt 939
• Motherboard manufacturer and model, eg ASUS P5GD1 Pro

Please be as specific as you can. For example, Pentium 4 2.4 GHz includes four distinctly different models; Pentium 4 2.40 GHz (400 MHz FSB, 512kB L2 Cache); Pentium 4 2.40B GHz (533 MHz FSB, 512kB L2 Cache); Pentium 4 2.40C GHz (800 MHz FSB, 512kB L2 Cache, HT); Pentium 4 2.40A GHz (533 MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache). The key to a problem could be in the details.

Please choose a suitable subject. If you are having a problem with sound for example, try Cannot hear sound, instead of PLZ HELP ME, which doesn't tell us anything about the content. As a warning, some even consider it obnoxious or careless and won't even look at the post.

Include background information.

This encompasses details such as how long since the problem began, what you did just prior to the problem beginning and what steps you have already made to try and rectify it. For many issues, it's also important to detail any changes you've made to hardware or software just prior to the problem beginning. These details are very important, and often hold the key to the issue at hand.

Include relevant information.

This seems like a no brainer, but many posts do not even include specific information. Part of this is not making any presumptions about what is causing the problem. Include details of any hardware that could conceivably be causing the problem, the software you are using when the problem occurs.

Give an indication of your computer skill.

This will save a LOT of time when writing out a reply. If you are fairly advanced, the descriptions, directions and explanations need not be so verbose. Equally, if you’re less experienced, the post will need to be more detailed to avoid re-posting. Tells us if, for example, you have experience with device drivers, home networking, installing hardware, or any other relevant information.

Explain the nature of the crash.

"Crash" is a terribly unspecific word for “it stops working the way I expect”. There are many different types of crash which often define the problem itself. If you need to describe a system’s crash, please describe it by answering these questions:

• Does the system display a warning message or completely reboot without error?
• Does the image freeze or turn black?
• Does the sound carry on, loop, or stop?
• Does the mouse still move, system beep when you press keys or is there no response to input?

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and happy posting.

Note: Please do not reply to this post if you've been sent here. Reply to the original message. Thanks.

Also Please try to find the right forum to post in. Many users just go to desktop computers and post. Please try to post in a relevant forum.

For example. If you have a problem with windows then please post in the Windows forum relevant to your system.

If you have a problem with Networking then choose the networking forum or HDD in The hard drive forum etc.

It is not very hard to understand but helps us out a lot to keep track of your post and help with replies.


Thank You Loz

Ps. Good post Syphus! Thanks

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