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PROBLEMS.DOC
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1992-10-11
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Having problems?
BAD DISK? It seems that in hot weather we are more
likely to get complaints about "bad" or unreadable disks. Floppy
disks are susceptible to heat, moisture and magnetism. A disk
that sits all day in a hot mailbox or truck where temperatures
exceed 100 degrees is likely to be damaged. Disks which have
been exposed to magnetism may become unreadable.
Before assuming a disk is bad, try it on another com-
puter. It may be that your computer's drive heads are dirty or
slightly misaligned. Suspect this if you often get disk error
messages with different disks. An inexpensive head cleaning kit
may help solve the problem.
Sometimes the round disk gets trapped inside its square
casing and generates an error because it can't rotate freely.
Remove the disk from the drive and tap each of the four edges
sharply on the surface of your desk. This may loosen the disk.
Try reading the disk again.
In any case, if we sent you an unreadable disk, we will
be happy to replace it with a fresh copy of the same program.
--------------------------------------------------------
TROUBLESHOOTING: "It doesn't work" may sum up your feel-
ings about a problem, but these words are useless if you need
help from your consultant or programmer. You can minimize
frustration and save time by learning to provide specific details
that will lead to a solution.
Remember that nearly 80 percent of computer problems are
caused by user errors. Before running any software, read the in-
structions. You don't have to read every word just to get
started. You can find the sections of the manual that tell you
how to begin, and those that apply to the task you are trying to
perform. There is a table of contents and an index. Skim these
to familiarize yourself with the topics that are discussed. Then
you'll know where to look when you have a question. The manual
is relatively short, so you may want to go ahead and read the
whole thing. It's embarrassing to mail a long letter or make a
long distance phone call to a BBS or CompuServe E-mail, only to
find that everything you needed to know was on page 2.
Before assuming a program "doesn't work", check a few
simple items. Is the computer plugged in and turned on? Are all
necessary devices (such as the monitor and printer) connected
properly and turned on? Did you spell the command correctly when
you typed the command? Are you logged onto the right disk drive
and directory? Is it possible that the program has a system re-
quirement that you don't meet, such as a type of video adaptor,
or a certain amount of memory? If memory seems to be the
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problem, do you have "memory resident" programs (also called TSRs
or "pop-up" utilities) which can be removed from memory? Try
running the program on a different computer.
If the program worked in the past, but doesn't now, can
you think of anything that has changed since the last time you
used it? Have you moved the computer or made changes in any of
the connecting cables? Is it possible there has been damage of
some kind, or that files have been erased? Have you added any
new memory-resident programs or device drivers which might cause
a conflict?
If you see an error message on screen, copy it completely
and exactly. Don't try to remember it! If possible, make a
print-screen of the message. On most computers, you can do this
by holding down the SHIFT key while you press the PRINT SCREEN
key (sometimes abbreviated to PRT SC). Some may not require
pressing the SHIFT key. The purpose of the error message is to
convey specific information to the programmer so that the problem
can be solved. Your consultant will need the exact wording of
the message in order to interpret it correctly.
When reporting a problem, be very specific. What were
you trying to do? How did you do it? What did you expect to
happen? What actually happened? Exactly what did you do just
before the problem occurred? What did you do afterwards? What
did you see on the screen? Have you had different or similar
results in the past? Can you reproduce the problem and describe
the circumstances under which it occurs? Is there a consistent
pattern of some sort?
We support our users, and are happy to answer your ques-
tions and help solve any difficulties you may have. Please un-
derstand that there is a limit to the amount of help we can give
you with software which we did not write. If you are having con-
tinuing difficulty with DOS commands, you probably need to study
your DOS manual or contact MicroSoft for help. If you are
baffled by your menu system which is not a part of out software,
your best bet is to talk to the person who installed it, or to
the author of the menu software.
The best way to get our help is to write to us, including
full details of the problem or question. Support by mail is al-
ways available. You can also receive support on CompuServe or
via BBS. All mail will be answered. Note that we reserve the
right to limit or terminate support if, in our judgment, a user
is abusive or unreasonable, or if the user has system problems
which go beyond the scope of our products.
We have found that less than five percent of our users
request technical support. Unfortunately, for those who do use
support, most of the questions are already answered in the
documentation provided with the software. Please, before you
call or write, read all the instructions. You will save your
time as well as ours, and you will help keep registration fees
low by keeping support costs down.
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We have also discovered that a large number of "support"
questions do not relate directly to our products, but are ques-
tions about basic computer operation, DOS commands, and retail
software applications. Although we cheerfully answer these ques-
tions when we can, we hope our users will understand that we can-
not provide training for products we did not produce. Your best
sources of information for basic operations are your DOS manual
and computer user's manual. You will get much more satisfaction
from your computer if you become an informed user.
--Michael D. O'Connor, Author
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