Windows 8 Bible

Troubleshooting Programs

Because so many programs are available for Windows, no troubleshooting magic bullets exist that will solve all problems. Every program and every problem is unique.

One of the most common mistakes users make is that they don’t invest the necessary time in learning how to use a program. They guess and hack their way through it, and when things don’t work the way they hoped, they think there’s something wrong with the program, when in fact, the problem is that the person using the program has no clue how to use it correctly. Troubleshooting can’t fix ignorance; only learning can fix that.

Every program has its own built-in Help feature for a reason — because every program is unique. The only ways to get information about a specific program are from the Help that came with that program, or from the support website for that program. The Help feature, which is usually the last item on a menu bar or tab, provides all the help options available to you.

The whole concept of troubleshooting applies only when you do know how to do something, but things aren’t working the way the documentation says they should.

The trick is to explore a number of different avenues for help. There is no book, web page, person, place, or thing that has all the answers to all questions, nor the solutions to all problems. Sometimes you really have to dig around for a solution. Start with the narrowest, most simple solution and work your way out from there, as follows:

• Try the Help that’s ...