While this forum can be a great place to find solutions, the members here to assist cannot possibly log in to your computer and pass it back to you, ready to fly. This style of ‘computer consultation’, while free is a very difficult process for the ‘consultants’. To assist you in getting the best possible experience from your calls for help, there are a few things you need to know.
You MUST take some time to prepare your system, before posting. You will receive very little useful assistance if your problem is related to a 3rd party product. Please direct inquiries regarding those products to the appropriate developer.
PLEASE do the following FIRST…
- Remove ALL content from the community folder.
- Disable ALL helper apps, weather, ATC, traffic etc.
- Disable any connected applications such as Navigraph, Little Nav Map, FSUIPC, SimConnect and any head tracking or VR related products. (If your problem is VR related, you can leave it running, but make sure you are posting in the VR section)
- Do a cold restart of your system and TEST MSFS for your problem before moving on to the next step.
Now you need to prepare to go after a fix.
The information provided needs to be reasonably detailed and presented in the right place. There are a limited (hopefully) number of threads dealing with a specific problem. Doing a PROPER search for similar issues MUST be done to assure your post is in the right place to get the attention it deserves. Once you have found the right thread, PLEASE do not just chime in with, “Same with me”. This tells nothing of your specific problem or what may be causing it.
Take the time to READ the thread before you jump in. Some are VERY long but it is possible the solution to your specific problem may be there already. An hour reading the thread could save you days of troubleshooting. Try some of the solutions that seem to apply. If you have done all this and still have not solved your issue then you can move to the next step.
Your FIRST post needs to include as much detail about your system as possible. (within reason. don’t need to include the colour of the leds lighting up your cooling system) Be sure to include, at the very least…
- CPU
- GPU
- PSU
- MB
- Memory (including configuration)
- Sound (on board or stand alone)
- Monitor(s)
- Display resolution
Other information about controller or VR etc may also become important so may as well add it now.
Make some notes, prior to posting, about the nature of the failure. When it happens. What you are doing when it happens. Any specific details you think may be related. Try to formulate a coherent paragraph explaining your notes. Please leave out any rants.
Also include any of the fixes found while reading the thread that you have tried and what the result was. Also include any attempts you have made before getting here. You may be asked to repeat some of those steps. Please, just do it. Some of the steps you may have read about need to be done in a meaningful order for your troubleshooter to be able to work through properly. Don’t argue just do it. What can it hurt?
When the member assisting you asks a question or suggests a course of action, please answer as quickly as possible. Posting a problem and ghosting the forum for the next three days will reduce the chance of meaningful assistance. When a suggestion is made, please follow the suggestion closely and respond with the results as soon as possible. The members on this forum are volunteering their time and expertise. Wasting their time by presenting arguments about why you think their suggestion won’t work, will have a negative effect on the process. Remember, the person helping you does not have your computer in front of them and so are working through the process in their mind, while keeping track of the other ten people they are helping. They only ask that you give the process a chance.
If your problem is solved, Please make a point of summarizing the solution so that others may benefit from your experience. Nothing is more annoying than spending three days (or more) working with someone, only to have them disappear from the forum. No idea whether the efforts bore fruit or if the user just gave up.
The process of remote troubleshooting can be a frustrating experience. Many here have benefitted from the expertise available and have returned to the sim skies. It can take time and you may have to do the same tasks multiple times before the solution is found. Please be patient. They ARE trying to help YOU.
So…
- Prepare your system.
- Make notes.
- Follow suggestions and provide meaningful feedback.
- Summarize your failure and the solution when found so others can benefit.
- Be patient and respectful.