I'm new here, but I encountered something and have a suggestion.

[darkbreeze]

This I posted to another member but I think it applies to us all.

Seriously, don't take it the wrong way, but, and it's just a suggestion, you might want to find out a little more information about what members are having problems with, and the specifics of the problem, before you offer quick, uninformed answers. I mean, most of these people genuinely want help. They don't want to be made feel stupid when they have a legitimate problem. As I posted in a certain reply that you had answered, I am having the same problem as another member, and it's not due to an inherent problem with the hardware, it's due to SP2. I'm sure you didn't mean to be as short as you were but in the future, if you answer a post, really, try to offer something helpfull. Don't instantly assume that people who post don't know anything or are stupid. The fact is, I've been working with systems since the VIC20, which if you even know what that is, you'll know that's been quite some time. And I'm stumpted with this same problem too. Now, maybe you've encountered this problem and know a work around for it, I can't find one or any usefull info on it but the fact remains that some drives fail to be PROPERLY recognized after installing SP2. In case you don't get the reply from the thread, I'll give you the opportunity to know the details, and they are almost exactly the same as the post left by the person you replied to. The long and short of it is this. BIOS recognizes the drive. Device manager does too. Windows shell, explorer etc, does not. The drive is partitioned, and formatted in NT format. If I pull the drive and put it in a non SP2 system it works just fine. And, it was working just fine before I installed SP2, which I had been holding off on installing for quite some time for the very fact that microsoft service packs often create as many problems as they fix. Anyhow, enough of scolding you. Honestly, if you know something we don't, please, be the bigger geek and let us know in an appropriate manner. Otherwise, consider yourself scolded, and in the future, just try to find out, or at least ask for, a little more information before you insult somebody who has an honest question. Again, I'm not trying to accuse you of anything, just asking that you think about what I've said. And, when you come up with a work around, please do let us know because as of right now, microsoft says they do not know what the problem is, but they recognize that there is one. Take care and keep on keeping on.

 

[RealBlackStuff]

I seem to be the person for whom this tirade is meant.
I was already programming IBM mainframes (in Assembler) before they even invented that baby Commodore. Guess I've been around a little longer than you...
If you claim to have such good (or a lot of) knowledge, you would never have installed XP in the first place! Over 90% of all the problems are about Windows XP.
I am still running Win2000 Pro/SP4 with my last installation dating back from mid-2003.
No problems, no BSODs.
There is no need for always wanting the latest and the greatest. Rather wait 6 months or a year before you make any major changes in your system.
XP-SP2 is not even 6 months old and look at all the crap it has produced!
Also, because of the heavy demands XP makes on your PC and the high specs that are needed to make it run at all, a lot of problems are caused by insufficient hardware-specs. You can not expect a PII or PIII under 600MHz to run halfway decent with XP. Most newer PCs are souped up by overloads of memory, humongous graphics cards and what not. What for? If people want to play games, they should buy a Playstation or an XBox. PCs were never mentioned for gaming, but for office purposes.
Let the flaming begin.....

 

[LPent]

Well, I will have to agree with Darkbreeze. I have been around for some time too (I won't boast my knowledge here because I think it is pointless) but lets be honest. Even the wisest man sometimes needs help. In fact, only "stupid" people think they know everything (not directed at anyone, just a general observation).

But I have noticed that one is often treated as an ***** or at least a beginner on forums like these. When most of the times the people who answer you just don't understand the question. Not because the question is unclear but because they "assume" that the person who asks has a certain level of knowledge.
I would vote for people reading more carefully and not assuming a level opf idiocy before giving quick meaningless answers that help nobody.

As for reallblackstuffs "rant" on Windows. I think there has been said enough about this subject on the net. I also think it is somewhat off topic (depite the fact that I agree with you that windows should be flushed down the drain).

 

[Didou]

Well you have the ones asking questions (99% of the time without searching to find out if it was already asked/solved before) & litterally demand an answer in the next 30 minutes or they feel like people are shunning them & whatnot (believe me I've seen this attitude way too often).

Nothing posted here is the definitive answer, everything posted is merely a suggestion, a tip for the user to look further into & pinpoint the problem he has. No one here has invented the devices (cpu, motherboard, hard-drive, etc.) or the softwares (windows, linux, dvdshrink, etc.) we discuss so any answers provided are only suggestions & should be considered as that.

 

[Phantasm66]

Nothing posted here is the definitive answer, everything posted is merely a suggestion, a tip for the user to look further into & pinpoint the problem he has. No one here has invented the devices (cpu, motherboard, hard-drive, etc.) or the softwares (windows, linux, dvdshrink, etc.) we discuss so any answers provided are only suggestions & should be considered as that.

Correct, and whilst I feel that no one here should ever be made to feel stupid for asking a question, do remember that this is just a bunch of amateurs offering some free help. Its not a paid support service, and what you are getting here is just nice and fun computing chit-chat, nothing more. No one here has any "duty" to see anyone else's problem through to a fix.

But I have noticed that one is often treated as an ***** or at least a beginner on forums like these. When most of the times the people who answer you just don't understand the question. Not because the question is unclear but because they "assume" that the person who asks has a certain level of knowledge.
I would vote for people reading more carefully and not assuming a level opf idiocy before giving quick meaningless answers that help nobody.

If that has been your experience than I am very sorry to hear that, but I don't think this goes on anything like as often as you make out.

 

[Spike]

OK. Here's my view.

I'm a relative beginner when compared to the likes of RBS, Didou and Phantasm. I remember home computers, pre PC - like the Atari 65XE I experimented with programming in BASIC on whwen I was 5-6 years old (yes I started young an gave up not long after!). I've never worked in the IT industry, but I've made it my business to learn what little I do by a lot of experimentation and re-formatting.

Yet, it seems, compared to some(few as they may be), I'm a relative expert! (and lets face it, I'm not THAT clever!)

I have to ask myself, how do I tell the experience level of this newcomer to the boards asking for help with his computer problems. Well, I can't. The first rule of ANYTHING is to check the basics first. If a quickie post asking to check that someone acctually has their PC turned ON when they've got no power lights on it offends a first time poster, then I'm truly sorry, but it's worth asking.

Now here's the thing. I wouldn't have to ask such irritating and often pointless questions if only people would learn to post the FULL DETAILS of their problems when they start a thread. Even those things where they think there's a remote possibility.

There's a fine line in the symptoms of Measles and Meningitis, and any doctor will tell you that unless they know what symptoms a person has, they can't make a diagnosis. The same goes for computers. Simply saying "windows doesn't load" is not enough! it's about as useless as the infamous "an unknown error has occured" message!

There is of course the fact that people just don't want to search before they post as well. If it's because your computer has slowed to an absolute crawl due to a virus or something, then fine. But if it's because someone doesn't have that amount of common sense, or because they can't be bothered, then they have no right to get all offended when people reply with short answers that aren't to their satisfaction, or to get offended when someone asks them to clarify and check the obvious.

My view, use the enter key for a little whitespace to make your message readable, make it as long as it needs to be to explain your problem well, and give ALL the information you can. Problem solved.

 

[SNGX1275]

Good post Spike, I agree with it.

For another explanation on how to post so we can avoid these type of complaints see my guide at:
How to Make a Post Worth Reading

 

[LNCPapa]

Good post Spike! Good because I agree with it, although I don't have a problem reading a post I don't agree with

 

[LPent]

I am sorry to say that I think you all prove the point darkbreeze is trying to make

Obviously I agree when you say that the ones who ask the question sometimes (most of the times?) don't make an effort to make their questions clear or to solve the problem themselves.
The point is, that this somehow has become the standard. Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking stupid questions!

If that has been your experience than I am very sorry to hear that, but I don't think this goes on anything like as often as you make out.

I must admit I visit this forum not very frequently. But there are hunderds of forums out there much like this one, and my general OBSERVATION is that questions are answered by three kinds of people.
1) those that just want to make conversation
2) those who once had a "similar problem"
3) those who genuinly know what they are talking about but are either too technical or feeling too superior.

Having said this, I know that most people really WANT to help and that a lot of questions are actually answered correctly. I don't think that this kind of "injustice" is taking place all the time, so I apologise if I made it look as if it was.
Well, I'll stop here, after all I am not the topic starter

 

[poertner_1274]

Everyone has their points and to be quite honest with you, there is no way to appeal to all sides. Whatever you say some people will agree with and others will disagree with. It's just the nature of humans.

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

My opinion is that most new people who come here have just bought it from a local store and just want to work & play with it. They simply don't know what a graphics chip or registry is. They just have problems and this site ranks among the first when searching for similar problems with Google.

That's why the questions seem incomplete or stupid to people who have years of experience on PCs.

I try to keep that in mind and reply according to that, without scolding.