Answers that work.
WHAT TO SEARCH FOR
The exact error message, in quotation marks The software name and version What you were doing
WHAT TO AVOID PUTTING IN A SEARCH
Anything identifying you: your name, your domain, your paths
WHERE ANSWERS ARE USUALLY BEST
Official documentation Established technical communities The vendor's own support material
WHAT TO BE CAUTIOUS OF
Advice with no explanation Instructions to disable security features Instructions to run commands you do not understand Advice from several years ago about software that has changed
THAT LAST POINT
Check the date. Software changes, and old advice frequently no longer applies.
WHAT TO NEVER DO
Run a command you do not understand, on a system that matters Download a tool suggested by an advertisement Give remote access to someone who contacted you
WHAT TO DO BEFORE FOLLOWING ANY INSTRUCTIONS
Back up.
WHAT TO ASSESS
Whether the person answering understood the question.
WHAT TO TRY
The simplest suggestion first.
