Why this site exists
You’ve got a manual that says ‘press F2 to enter setup’ but nothing explains why your screen flickers after you do, or a tutorial that skips the part where the driver actually installs. The steps are there—just not the ones that matter.
This site fills in the gaps. No fluff, no assumptions. Every guide starts with the problem you’re actually facing, not the one the software vendor imagined. The goal? A working system, not a perfect one.
Who writes this site
Sheldon Lockhart runs this site.
Do you test everything on real hardware?
Yes. No VMs, no emulators. If it’s not running on the same hardware most people use, it’s not here. That means older PCs get just as much attention as the latest models.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve gotten wrong?
I once wrote that ‘Safe Mode’ would always work for driver issues. It didn’t. Turns out some motherboard firmware locks it out. The guide got updated the next day.
Why no guides on Linux distro X?
Because X isn’t widely used enough to justify the time. If you’re running something niche, you’re better off with its own forums. This site covers what actually helps people, not what’s trendy.
The desk has a coffee stain from 2016 that never came out, and the third drawer is where the USB cables go—even the ones that don’t work.
How a guide is built
It starts with a problem someone actually reported. Not a forum thread from five years ago, not a vendor’s FAQ. A real email, a real comment, or a real crash log. Then we try to fix it—twice—before writing a word.
The first attempt
The first run follows the official steps exactly. If it works, we document why. If not, we note every error code, every flicker, every ‘access denied’—and then we start guessing. No theory, no speculation. Just trial and error with real hardware.
The fix that sticks
The second attempt is where the real work happens. We isolate variables: different USB ports, disabled services, manual driver installs. If a method fails, it’s crossed out. If it works, it’s timed. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s reliability.
What we will not do
We won’t publish guides that require paid software or obscure tools. If it’s not free or widely available, it’s not here.
Things you will never find here
- Step-by-step walkthroughs for beta software
- ‘Advanced’ tweaks that break more than they fix
- Guides that assume you’re comfortable with command-line tools
- Comparisons of products we’ve never tested ourselves
Where to start
New readers usually go to the ‘Troubleshooting’ section first. It’s organized by symptom—not by software—so you can skip the guesswork. If you’re setting up something specific, use the search bar. Still stuck? Try the ‘Last Resort’ guides at the bottom of the page.
Say hello
We like hearing about the weirdest fixes you’ve found—or the ones that didn’t work. And if you’ve got a problem that’s stumped you for hours, send it our way. The contact page has the details.
The guides are grouped by category: App, Coding, Hardware, Operating System, Outlook and PowerPoint.