Maximum PC

Drudging around in the Free Clinic is the best place I know to come for help. But it's become quite evident over the years (I'm including the Comport) that there's a usual theme: Repeated questions.

Let me get to my point right off the bat. I just finished reading and absorbing the August issue of MPC, and I felt a sudden calm fall over me. THIS is the issue that you should not only read, but keep very close to your computer. It answers (or at least gets you going) on the most problematic issues that plague our PC's, and should be one of the first places to look for help with your woes. It goes right up there with Google! So, with that being said...please at least pick up that particular issue and flip through it when a problem arises.

The same problem seems to run rampant, and come in waves. Most recently it seems it's "Random Reboots" and the like. Anyway, there's a method to fix your problem, and figured I'd make a post like this to at least relieve some tension. There's so much more that could be added to this. There's an ongoing FAQ that should also be looked at (not sure if it's been transfered over here yet) and on top of that, a quick run through the Clinic's titles to see if any are having the same problem as you. It's very likely that you aren't the only one with the same problem. Which leads me to...

Be a little more creative when titling your threads. It's better for everyone on so many levels. First, it helps others notice a thread that they may hold a good knowledge of and jump right in and help. Second, someone else may have the same problem and they can open this thread later down the road to research this issue and see if the cure works for them or not. And third, "HELP! THX" is a thread I usually blow right by. I may look a week or two down the road to see what happened, but only if I'm bored. I, and I would assume others, just find the title a little too vague to bother with when "WinXP doesn't see new HDD" is sitting right by it, I'll choose door number two.

Weather you realize it or not, people here really do go out of their way to do the best they can with helping people they have never met before...for free. I honestly lose sleep over odd problems that are posted here that I don't know the cure for. I hate to use a cliché, but "help me, help you" carries heavily in here as well. There's so much knowledge to be had here, both in book-smarts and in personal experience (and in my case, learn from what I blew up) that there's really no reason it can't be fixed.

I'm not running anyone away I hope...but blindly posting for help takes the "personnel" out of Personnel Computer IMO. I'm the believer in getting your hands in there and get dirty, and hopefully swell your mind in the process.

Thank you for giving me a place to reside, post, and read...and thank you for reading my rant!

I concur ... woo doo doo to u sir.

Now were not only going to have the "use google" replies, but "use MPC Aug '04"

ill have to go get the August issue on the news stand, i just sent my subscription form in a couple weeks ago. It's really that good huh?

damn...avnt gotten my MPC yet, and im going to hawaii tomorrow...

Subscribers get their issues pretty early, so it may not be on the stands for another week or so. Just a heads up though!

Continued:

If someone helps you. Say "Thanks".

And try to report back in on if it helped or not, or if you're still alive. Too many people just drop off the map. Feels like we're talking to ourselves.

i hate it when people just say 'it's been solved' without saying how.

You should take a copy of Communications of the ACM instead. You wouldn't want people thinking you're a nerd with a mag entitiled "Maximum PC!".

NUTS EH?

Please bold that section. It's so annoying to see "PLEASE HELP!!!" every day/week. I also tend to blow right by them.

Also, I vote for this thread to be stickied... or bumped everyday

Done...

and done.
Bump