TidBITS#653/28-Oct-02
=====================
Got troubles? We can help, particularly if you're an iMac user,
since installing Jaguar is rendering some iMacs unusable. Then
there are the problems with SuperDrives and new DVD media, and
a security flaw in StuffIt Expander 6.5.2. Along with solutions
to these problems, Adam finishes off his Troubleshooting Primer,
Kirk McElhearn offers suggestions for using the PowerMate, and
we glance at the Palm Tungsten-T and MacTiVo Blesser.
Topics:
MailBITS/28-Oct-02
Update Firmware Before Installing Jaguar!
Unleashing the Power of the PowerMate
TidBITS Troubleshooting Primer, Part 2
<http://www.tidbits.com/tb-issues/TidBITS-653.html>
<ftp://ftp.tidbits.com/issues/2002/TidBITS#653_28-Oct-02.etx>
Copyright 2002 TidBITS Electronic Publishing. All rights reserved.
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---------------------------------------------------------------
MailBITS/28-Oct-02
------------------
**Apple Posts Important iMac SuperDrive Update** -- Apple has
released the iMac SuperDrive Update, the first of a series of
SuperDrive firmware updates that are critical for owners of
SuperDrive-equipped Macs. A bug in the firmware of Pioneer
DVD-writing drives (such as the SuperDrive, though Apple doesn't
use Pioneer drives exclusively) makes them unable to identify
media belonging to a new specification for higher-speed DVD
media. Using these discs, which record at 4x speed for DVD-R
and 2x for DVD-RW, can potentially damage the drive itself:
the device's laser attempts to determine what type of media
has been inserted, and since it doesn't recognize the new format,
it keeps trying until it overheats and burns out. (Macintosh
author Jim Heid has published more detailed information at his
Macintosh Digital Hub Web site.) So far, Apple has released an
update only for the iMac G4 (15-inch Flat Panel), and only under
Mac OS X; the company says that updates for the Power Mac G4,
as well as Mac OS 9 versions for both types of machine, will
be posted soon. Recent models, such as the 17-inch iMac G4,
the SuperDrive-equipped eMac, and the Power Mac G4 (Mirrored
Drive Doors), include the latest firmware version and are not
affected by the problem. The iMac SuperDrive Update for Mac OS X
is a 1.2 MB download. [JLC]
<http://www.apple.com/hardware/superdrive/>
<http://www.macintoshdigitalhub.com/superdrive/>
**Aladdin Expands StuffIt Deluxe 7.0.1** -- Soon after introducing
a new StuffIt compression format, Aladdin has released an update
to its system-wide utility for compressing and expanding files.
StuffIt Deluxe 7.0.1 improves compatibility with Mac OS X 10.2,
speeds up the Fast Compression option of the new StuffIt X file
format, and adds support for Finder command keys while using the
Dvorak key layout. The utility also adds support for Intego's
VirusBarrier. The StuffIt Deluxe 7.0.1 updater is free for
registered users and is a 7.9 MB download for the Mac OS X
version, or a 2.8 MB download for those running Mac OS 8.6
through Mac OS 9.
<http://www.stuffit.com/stuffit/deluxe/updates.html>
<http://www.virusbarrier.com/virusbarrier/>
Aladdin also recently released StuffIt Expander 7.0, part of
the StuffIt Standard Edition package (formerly known as StuffIt
Light). Due to a security vulnerability discovered in StuffIt
Expander 6.52 and earlier, Apple offers StuffIt Expander 7.0 by
itself via Software Update. [JLC]
<http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/383779>
**Palm Unveils Tungsten T** -- Palm, Inc. improved the top of its
line of handhelds today by releasing the Palm Tungsten T, a color
organizer that adds multimedia capabilities and the new Palm OS 5
to the company's lineup. The $500 Tungsten T includes built-in
Bluetooth wireless networking, 16 MB of memory, a high-resolution
(320 pixels square, double that of previous Palm-branded
handhelds) color screen capable of displaying 65,000 colors,
a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a button for recording voice memos.
Most striking, however, is the Tungsten T's compact form factor:
the bottom section of the device slides down to reveal the
Graffiti area. It measures 4 inches (10.16 cm) tall when closed,
or 4.8 inches (12.19 cm) when open, is 0.6 inches (1.52 cm)
thick, and weighs 5.6 ounces (158.8 grams). The unit is powered
by a built-in lithium-polymer battery, and in a departure for
Palm, runs on the Texas Instruments 144 MHz OMAP 1510 ARM-based
processor. As with most high-end Palm handhelds, the Tungsten T
also includes an infrared port and an expansion slot for Secure
Digital/MultiMedia Card media. [JLC]
<http://www.palm.com/products/handhelds/tungsten-t/>
**MacTiVo Blesser Available Again** -- Mac users who want a do-it-
yourself approach to adding a hard disk to a TiVo can once again
download the free MacTiVo Blesser program (the original site
disappeared in the iTools to .Mac transition). TiVo upgrade vendor
Weaknees.com is now hosting MacTiVo Blesser at the link below; the
page also provides links to the necessary instructions. Note that
MacTiVo Blesser works only for preparing a second hard drive for
adding to any single-drive TiVo other than the new Series2 TiVo;
it doesn't help you swap your existing drive out or make a backup
of your existing drive. For more details on upgrading a TiVo, see
"Upgrading the TiVo" in TidBITS-644_. [ACE]
<http://www.weaknees.com/mactivo.html>
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06918>
Update Firmware Before Installing Jaguar!
-----------------------------------------
by Geoff Duncan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Last week, I began to see credible reports that installing Mac OS
X 10.2 Jaguar on some iMacs was "frying" the motherboards. Users
would run the Jaguar installer, everything would proceed
correctly, and when users tried to restart the screens would
remain black, rendering the machines unusable. Furthermore, the
screens stayed black: restarting the machine from a Mac OS 9 CD or
other bootable volume made no difference. Some users who contacted
their Apple dealers were reportedly told the only solution was
to replace their iMac's motherboard, potentially at a cost of $700
or more.
So, after some investigation, here's the deal:
1) Installing Jaguar on some slot-loading iMacs _can_ render the
machine unusable by blacking out the internal display, even when
trying to start up in Mac OS 9. The bug is apparently in Jaguar,
not the installer.
2) You can avoid the problem altogether by updating your iMac's
firmware _before_ installing Jaguar. The current firmware version
is 4.1.9; it's a 1.2 MB download.
<http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75130>
3) If you've already been hit by this problem, no, the iMac's
motherboard is not fried, and replacement is not necessary. See
below for the fix.
4) A reasonable person would think the Jaguar installer would
check for a supported firmware revision before attempting to
install. It does not, though the ReadMe and slim installation
brochure that comes with Jaguar both hint at the possible need
for a firmware update.
**Firmware Versions** -- At this time, it's not entirely clear
which iMacs are vulnerable. The original "slot-loading" iMacs and
iMac DVs introduced in September of 1999 are affected; the problem
may extend to later iMac models with built-in CRTs, which Apple
designates "Summer 2000," "Early 2001," and "Summer 2001." Neither
flat-screen iMacs nor eMacs are affected.
Be sure you read the instructions before attempting to update the
firmware: you'll need to locate and use the programmer's button
on the side of your iMac. Firmware updates can be run only when
launched from a writable disk under Mac OS 9.x (or Mac OS 8.x, if
your computer is old enough). You cannot run a firmware update
from the Classic environment in Mac OS X, nor can you run one when
the computer is started up from a CD-ROM or network disk. Your
PRAM will be reset after installing a firmware update, so you may
need to check some of your system settings. In particular, make
sure the setting in your startup disk control panel is correct
if you have multiple bootable drives or partitions.
If you don't know what firmware version you're currently running
(and who does?), you can find out by using Apple System Profiler;
an entry for "Boot ROM version," "ROM revision," or "Boot ROM
info" appears under the System Profile tab. If you're using
Mac OS 9, the version will appear in an ugly decimal format
like $0004.17f1 - that corresponds to firmware version 4.1.7.
The following Knowledge Base article lists the current firmware
revisions for Macs which support Mac OS X.
<http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86117>
**Seeing Black?** If you've already attempted to install Jaguar
and are looking at a black screen, you can recover, but it's not
simple. Essentially, you must find a way to update your iMac's
firmware from a writable drive without having use of the iMac's
screen.
Perhaps the best approach is to open the iMac, remove its hard
drive, and connect the hard drive to a second computer (like a
Power Mac G3 or G4 with an available drive bay). Then copy the
firmware updater to the iMac's drive, install a remote control
program like Timbuktu onto the hard drive and configure it to
allow incoming access, and set the drive to boot in Mac OS 9.
Next, move the hard drive back to your iMac and boot the machine
in Mac OS 9 (the screen will still be black). Then, connect to
the iMac over a network from another Macintosh using the remote
control program and run the firmware updater. Once you've done
that, the iMac's video should be restored. If your iMac is under
warranty, note that opening your iMac to remove the hard drive
may void that warranty.
Obviously, not every iMac owner has a second computer and a remote
control program at their disposal, or the technical acumen to
transplant hard drives between machines. An Apple dealer may be
able to perform these or similar steps for you to recover your
iMac, but they're unlikely to do so for free even if your iMac
is still under warranty: expect to pay at least an hourly rate
for the dealer's time, but that's certainly cheaper than a new
motherboard. A well-versed Mac consultant might be faster and
less expensive. Under _no_ circumstances should you let a dealer
convince you that your iMac's motherboard must be replaced.
Motherboard replacement was initially Apple's official solution
to this problem; however, now that the issue has been more
thoroughly identified, Apple dealers now have access to
information about it how to recover iMacs without replacing
the motherboard. If your dealer isn't yet aware of it, ask
them to look.
**Seeing Red?** This situation is troubling. It's incredible
that Apple would release operating system software dependent
on particular firmware revisions and not check that appropriate
firmware was available before installing. C'mon: that's just
common sense! We're also disturbed Apple would recommend dealers
and service centers replace motherboards on affected machines -
a costly solution, especially for machines out of warranty - when
there's nothing wrong with the motherboards, and Apple's own
software caused the problem. We realize working out solutions for
these problems takes time and dealers need to provide solutions as
quickly as possible, but we certainly hope Apple plans to provide
refunds to affected users who have already paid for motherboard
replacements.
PayBITS: If this article saved your iMac's bacon, please
consider supporting TidBITS by becoming a contributor.
<http://www.tidbits.com/about/support/contributors.html>
Read more about PayBITS: <http://www.tidbits.com/paybits/>
Unleashing the Power of the PowerMate
-------------------------------------
by Kirk McElhearn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
I have always had mixed feelings about gadgets. I like the cool
factor inherent in some of them, but I tend to find that the
cooler they look, the less useful they are. So I rein in my
gadget-buying impulse, and try to purchase only those that are
both cool and useful.
Sometimes it's hard to find whether a given gadget is useful. If a
friend or colleague owns one, you can try it out; if you see it on
display in a store, you can give it a whirl. But some gadgets are
hard to find - especially here in my Alpine village, where mail-
order is my only option.
When Griffin Technology's PowerMate came out last year, there
were lots of articles saying how cool it was, including a mention
in the traditional TidBITS Macworld Expo Superlatives article.
The coolness is clearly visible - an attractive brushed aluminum
knob/button, taken from the most minimal of stereo designs, sits
atop a thick layer of translucent plastic with a soft blue light
pulsing beneath it.
<http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/powermate/>
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06687>
However, cool is one thing, but not one of the articles I read,
nor the manufacturer's Web site, did a good job of describing how
I might apply the PowerMate to my everyday tasks. This brief
article is intended to do just that - you've gotten a gist of
how cool it looks, so let me tell you how I have been using this
gadget for the last week, and why it will most likely remain by
my keyboard for a very long time.
**Setting It Up** -- Setting up the PowerMate is a breeze. It
connects to a USB port via a short USB cable, about 18 inches
(48 cm) long, but also comes with a 40-inch (101 cm) extension
cable if you need to connect it to a computer farther away.
You configure the PowerMate via a preference pane under Mac OS X
or a control panel under Mac OS 9. When you open its preference
pane, you see four sections: Setting, Action, Pulsing, and Long
Click Length. The first section, Setting, lets you choose for
which applications you want settings to apply. The PowerMate
doesn't do much - you can rotate it (right and left), click it
(press the button), use a long click (press and hold briefly), or
click and rotate (right and left). That gives you a total of six
actions, each of which can tell your Mac to do one of several
things: rotating can raise or lower volume, scroll up or down,
move the cursor left or right, move the cursor up or down, or (and
here's the most important) invoke a key combination; clicking can
invoke a click or a double-click, mute the volume, open a file, or
send a key combination. Choose which action you want to program,
choose what you want it to do, click Apply, and it's set.
The PowerMate also works as a power button - you can use it to
turn on compatible Macs. This can be useful for those with
keyboards that lack power buttons and whose computers live under
their desks.
To help you get started, the PowerMate driver comes with presets
for a handful of applications. For example, in iTunes, rotating
the knob raises or lowers the volume, and clicking it pauses
playback. For iMovie, it is set to work as a jog and shuttle
controller. For most other applications, it is set to scroll up or
down, but you are free to change these settings, add applications,
or delete any of the predefined applications' settings.
You can also adjust settings for the length of a long click
(since the PowerMate software sends its actions when the button
is released, you can adjust the long click length from 0.5 to 4
seconds). Finally, you can change the pulsing speed of the two
blue LEDs beneath the knob - a feature that was frequently
requested shortly after the PowerMate began shipping. One thing
to note is that Unsanity Software has released a free CPU usage
monitor, called Cee Pee You, which lives in the Mac OS X menu
bar and can also indicate CPU usage via the PowerMate, so, for
example, you can have it pulse faster or slower, or change
brightness, according to your CPU usage.
<http://www.unsanity.com/download.php?product=ceepeeyou>
**Putting the PowerMate to Work** -- None of the above would have
been enough to convince me to buy a PowerMate (which retails in
the U.S. for $45; I paid 79 euros for mine). What would have been
useful, though, is a clear explanation of how this gadget can be
applied in everyday use. So, here are some examples of how I have
programmed my PowerMate.
* Microsoft Entourage: One of the most common actions I perform in
Entourage is to check my mail. So, I set the click to Command-K
(Send and Receive All). I've kept the right and left rotate
settings to scroll - the PowerMate's scroll is much smoother than
pressing the spacebar and moving down one screen at a time. It is
also easier than using a scroll wheel on a mouse - I have found
that with the PowerMate under my right hand and my trackball
under my left hand, I can do much more, and do it more easily.
* Microsoft Word: I use the PowerMate to scroll within Word
documents, and I set the click to Command-F6, which cycles
through windows. When I long-click the PowerMate, Word saves
my current document.
* Internet Explorer: In addition to scrolling, I click the
PowerMate to invoke Command-~ (tilde) to cycle through open
windows. I also connect the long click to the Back command's
keyboard shortcut - Command-[ (open square bracket).
* NetNewsWire Lite: This news gathering application has changed
the way I receive news, and the PowerMate is a welcome addition.
Command-G goes to the next unread news item, which I now access
by rotating the PowerMate to the right. When I click-rotate to
the right, I invoke Command-K to mark all items in a feed as
read. I set the normal click to the Return key, which opens
the item in my browser.
<http://ranchero.com/software/netnewswire/>
* Terminal: What, use a multimedia knob to control the command
line? Absolutely. I set the PowerMate to emulate the up and down
arrow keys when I click and rotate, letting me scroll through my
command history quickly. Clicking maps to Return, which runs the
selected command. Rotating normally scrolls the window up or down.
**Power, Mate** -- These few examples show you how versatile the
PowerMate can be. I'm sure others will find even better ideas how
to use it; I only wish there were a way for users to share this
information. The manufacturer should allow users to post their
ideas, but the Web site currently lists only a few tips. If you
have other ideas, feel free to share them in TidBITS Talk.
It is rare that I adopt such a new type of tool so quickly, but in
just one week I have become convinced that this is an essential
tool for any kind of computer use. Have a look at what the
PowerMate can do - you might be surprised how practical it is.
[Kirk McElhearn is a freelance writer and translator living in a
village in the French Alps. He is co-author of Microsoft Office
v.X Inside Out, published by Microsoft Press.]
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0735616280/tidbitselectro00/>
TidBITS Troubleshooting Primer, Part 2
--------------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
In the first installment of this article, I talked about the
basics steps necessary to troubleshoot any problem, including
describing the problem, breaking the system apart, asking yourself
questions about each part of the system, and finding answers to
those questions and tests.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06968>
But what if, after all that, you still haven't been able to solve
the problem? Failure to solve a problem on your own is no cause
for surrender, because you usually just don't understand the
system well enough to break it into appropriate chunks. Or perhaps
you simply didn't think of the necessary tests. For instance, in
last week's example of not being able to share files between a
wireless-enabled computer and a wired computer connected to the
same access point, if you didn't realize that all the traffic
had to pass through the access point, and a factory default
reset (perhaps caused by a lightning strike-driven power surge)
had turned off wireless to wired Ethernet bridging, you could
easily have tested everything else without realizing what you
were missing.
This is where experts come in. Sometimes they may have solved so
many problems that they automatically know the solution to your
problem based on your description. But more often they can simply
break the problem down into more chunks, one of which usually
turns out to be the problem.
Intermittent problems can really drive you crazy when it comes
time to seek expert help. Although an expert can offer suggestions
about where to look, if you have a system that works some of the
time, it's very difficult to determine whether you were testing
the wrong variables or if you were testing the right variables at
the wrong time or in combination with the wrong set of other
variables.
Where should you turn first? Give the order in which you jump from
expert to expert some thought, since your goal should be to find a
solution to your problem with the least effort and cost.
**Search the Web** -- Before anything else, try searching on the
Web, both in company support databases and just generally in
Google. The only hard part is coming up with appropriate search
terms, but it's worth five minutes of searching if it reveals
the answer you need. You wouldn't believe the number of questions
we've received over the years whose answers were easily found in
Google (since that's where I look first, too).
<http://www.google.com/>
Of course, if you have any books or magazine articles that touch
on the topic, it's worth looking in them as well, though I usually
search on the Web first, since it's faster than flipping through
an index or scanning multiple issues of a magazine.
**Ask an Expert Friend** -- If a Web search doesn't turn up an
answer, or at least some new tests to try, the fastest, cheapest,
and easiest person to ask for help is a friend who is an expert
at the topic in question. If you have such a friend, I recommend
asking that person for help next. Be careful, though, because
overusing a friend's willingness to answer your technical
questions or fix your problems can strain otherwise solid
friendships. And if the friend is really more of an acquaintance,
even more care is warranted to avoid causing irritation.
If possible, try to perform roughly equivalent favors so your
friend doesn't feel exploited. Tonya and I even have a "friend
consulting rate" for computer help: dinner. That way, the event
changes from a consulting visit into a social event with friends,
and everyone feels appropriately rewarded.
**Contact Tech Support** -- If you don't have an expert friend,
the next best option is to contact the technical support
department run by the manufacturer of the hardware or software
in question. If you haven't already done so, visit their Web
site and search quickly to see if they have an online database
of problems and solutions that can solve your problem instantly.
If that doesn't help, send the company email or call. Company
tech support engineers are likely to know more about the products
you're using than anyone else, and it's their job to help you if
you're a customer (but that doesn't mean you should ever be snotty
to them, as I explain below). Contacting tech support is often
your best option for getting fast, accurate help.
That's not to say company tech support works well in all
situations.
* Tech support engineers are often paid badly, so turnover is
high and new hires often lack experience, meaning that it's not
uncommon to get a tech support engineer who knows less than you
do. (In that case, ask politely if your problem can be escalated
to second-level support.)
* Some companies charge for support, and even when support is
free, the calls are seldom toll-free. Unfortunately, it's all too
common to wait on hold for 30 minutes before you even talk to a
person, and there's little that is more frustrating than knowing
that your phone bill increasing while you sit there, not getting
your work done. (I usually call on a speakerphone, and read email
while I'm waiting, so the time isn't entirely wasted.)
* Some tech support engineers may know their products well, but if
the problem stems from an interaction between several products,
they may not see the bigger picture, or they may try to pass the
blame on to another company (which will, in the most annoying
cases, pass it back).
**Ask on the Internet** -- Assuming tech support fails you or
isn't worth contacting because of usurious charges or ridiculous
phone wait times, the next place to ask is in an appropriate
Internet forum. The hard part here is identifying the right
place to ask, since so many different groups exist. Check for
appropriate mailing lists, Usenet newsgroups, Web-based support
forums, and even IRC channels.
When I say "appropriate," I mean it. Watch the forum briefly
before posting your question to make sure what you plan to ask
fits in with the kind of discussions that go on, because posting
an off-topic request for help will irritate people unnecessarily
and won't provide you with the solution you need. Plus, it wastes
your precious time. Most forums also have a FAQ (frequently asked
question) list that may contain the answer you're looking for; be
sure to check there to avoid posting a question that the other
members have seen numerous times.
Don't be greedy when it comes to asking for help in Internet
forums. They work only because individuals are willing to donate
their time and knowledge to the public good, so if you want the
forum to thrive, be a sport and help others when you can as well.
**Hire a Consultant** -- If all other avenues have failed, or
if you have no time or patience for any of the previous
approaches, consider hiring a consultant. Going the consultant
route costs the most and isn't necessarily quick, depending on
the consultant's schedule and how familiar he or she already is
with your situation. But if the problem is sufficiently severe
or annoying, the time and money will be well spent.
**How to Report Problems** -- When it comes time to report your
problems to someone else, your notes are invaluable, because
without them, you find yourself repeating tests just to verify the
results one more time. Obviously, how you report a problem varies
depending on to whom you're reporting it, but this approach should
work in most situations.
First, create a profile of your computer that lists:
* Your model of computer, how much memory it has, and exactly
which version of the operating system you're using.
* Any recent changes to the system, such as upgrading the
operating system itself or installing new drivers.
* Special extensions or add-ins installed, like a third-party
firewall or, in Mac OS 9, system extensions.
* Any add-on devices like a second monitor, third-party video
cards, a SCSI card, audio/video hardware, scanners, etc.
* Version numbers for software or drivers that are relevant to the
problem. Often, outdated or too-new drivers can cause all sorts of
problems.
The easiest way to develop a profile of your system is to use
Apple System Profiler, which is generally accessible in your
Apple menu in Mac OS 9; it's stored in your Utilities folder in
Mac OS X. Windows has a similar utility called System Information
that's usually in Programs/Accessories/System Tools. Both of
these tools let you save a report.
Once you've developed a profile that you can make available if
asked, it's time to report the actual problem. Outline your
problem briefly and note that you've done standard
troubleshooting. Then briefly relate what you've tried already,
but don't go into detail right away, since the fact that you're
asking for help means that what you tested inherently wasn't
right. How you proceed depends on how interactive the support
medium is.
For support situations where the medium lends itself to fast
interaction - in person, via the phone, instant messaging - let
the support person ask questions and guide you through the
process, since they likely have ideas about where the problem is.
If you launch into a detailed retelling of what you've tried right
off, you may overwhelm them with unnecessary trivia. Don't be
offended if they ask you about whether lights are lit or the
power's plugged in. It can be irritating, but it's their version
of methodical problem-solving.
When you're asking for help in a situation where interaction is
slow - direct email, mailing list posting, Usenet news posting,
or a Web support forum posting - follow your brief summary of what
you tried with a more detailed list of the tests you performed and
your system configuration. There's no need to explain what
happened with each test if it failed to shed any light on the
situation, but it is important to list them all so people trying
to help don't end up asking about tests you've already performed
(in these slow interaction forms of communication, a back-and-
forth interchange can take a day or two, so you want to keep the
number of messages as small as possible).
In either situation, try to answer questions from the experts
as quickly and completely as possible. From our perspective of
helping people over the years, there's nothing worse than getting
incomplete answers to questions, forcing us to ask the same
question in slightly different ways and just stringing out the
entire interchange.
**Be Nice!** Actually, there is something worse than providing
incomplete answers to questions, and it's a little hard to say
this, but don't be a jerk! You wouldn't believe how many people
assume that the problem is somehow the tech support person's
fault. Yes, you're frustrated and possibly even angry because of
having bought a piece of hardware or software that isn't working,
but if you want help, you're far more likely to get it if you're
nice, or at least polite and professional, when talking with the
tech support person.
Although most people are more polite when they're asking for help
in an independent mailing list or other online forum, there's
still a tendency to whine or threaten never to buy products from
the company again. Bad idea, because the people who are most
likely to be able to help you probably like the company and its
products, and the more you rant and rail, the less interested
they are in responding to you.
Put bluntly, there's a time and a place for complaints, and they
should be separated from requests for help. That way you get
maximum effect for your complaint and stand the best chance of
receiving help.
**Dealing with the Insolvable** -- I'd like to pretend that if you
just follow all of the steps in the previous article and in this
one, that you can solve any problem. Unfortunately, there are a
very small number of problems that will resist your best efforts,
and the best efforts of every expert you can bring to bear. That's
because everything you try takes time and effort, and there's a
limit to how much energy and money you should invest to solve a
given problem. Sometimes the better part of valor really is to
give up and buy new hardware or software that eliminates the
problem entirely. The hope is, of course, that you realize you're
heading down this path before you've wasted too much time and
effort.
That said, don't let the fact that some problems really can't be
solved with a reasonable amount of effort prevent you from trying.
In the vast majority of cases, working methodically through the
steps I've outlined in these articles will result in success.
One last note, for those of you who work as the unofficial tech
support for your friends, family, and colleagues: I encourage you
to send them a link to these articles so they stand a better
chance of solving their own problems, or so they can at least be
easier to help.
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