Improving tech support

[Cyborg Alpha]

Haneef Bashir wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 4:12 AM, Cyborg Alpha <cyborg.alpha.v1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>> The best tech support I've seen, on any platform, is community driven.
>>
>> However, if information is missing then a solution may be more difficult
>> to find, as well - it makes it difficult to track problems.
>>
>> Here are a few suggestion;
>>
>> 1. at the top of the message should be the users system information,
>> particularly OS version and if they are on a dual boot system, and if so
>> what version of Windows. The system information should be kept
>> through-out the conversation (tread) with other non-essential parts
>> [snipped].
>>
>> 2. I have found, through observing several tech support groups, that
>> many people with tech problems are running dual boot  (windows & linux)
>> systems. So here is a tech support trouble shooting flowchart;
>>
>> a. Always ensure your data is backed up, off system and not dependent on
>> back-up software to restore.
>> b. re-install your version of linux (from CD or DVD) eliminating the
>> dual boot to only run linux.
>> c. there is more than enough linux-ware to make it run similar to
>> windows including finding a MS network (and all systems under that network)
>> d. if that solves the problem, then the problem exists with the windows
>> dual boot. Which may not be a linux bug, but a MS hd locking technology
>> issue.
>>
>> I've experienced few issues with clean single boot installs. It took
>> three re-installs (on a vista laptop) to fully eliminate MS from the hd.
>> The tech issues that I did experience were due to a lack of information
>> (and errors) on my part.
>>     
> good advice. i notice that i have less problems with a single install
> as well. so far so good. thing that i have a problem with is need to
> use voice chat on instant messengers such as msn and yahoo. i have set
> to find a work around for that. im thinking about installing windows
> on another hard drive to use when i need.
>
>   
I found kopete to be better than pidgin, because it allows both voice 
and video chat on msn and yahoo. I can even chat with msn users through 
my yahoo account.

-- 
Cyborg Alpha,
The Evolving Cyborg of the Cybernetics Institute