My software package stopped working, what should I do?

Let’s take this account:

After I installed Mac OSX (10.5.6), Roxio’s CD Spin Doctor started to show corrupted and incomplete waveforms. This problem has been reported several times on MacFixIt.com. I’m not sure if there is a fix to it, or who is responsible: Apple or Roxio. Has anyone on this forum experienced the problem, know of a fix, or the status of a fix??

Now the trigger for this problem, is fairly obvious, installing Mac OS X 10.5.6… But what is the solution?

  1. Check to see if there are any updates for the software.  Very often the bug has already been reported, and fixed…
  2. Contact the manufacturer of the software package, and file a bug report.  This maybe as simple as writing an email, or choosing an option from the Help Screen.  Typically the manufacturer is looking for the following information, for bug reports…
    • A short summary of the problem…  No more than 3-4 sentences…
    • What Steps are needed to reproduce the problem (preferably in numbered format)
    • What the expected results are without the bug
    • What the actual results are with the bug
    • Describe any “edge” cases, where this issue occurs, or doesn’t occur.  For example, Spell checker in powerpoint changes frog to frogs.  Whereas in Microsoft Word, it does not change frog to the plural.
    • Any Additional notes, and more detailed description of the issue (if needed).
  3. Do a google search on the issue, see if anyone else has reported the problem, and see if there are any known solutions on the internet.
  4. Disconnect *ALL* hardware except for the mouse, keyboard, and essentials…  Reboot, and try it with the reduced set of hardware.  A good example, is that original series of F.E.A.R. games (http://www.whatisfear.com ) refused to run, if my 2414U HouseLink adapter was plugged into my computer.  No error messages, it would just exit 5 seconds into the introduction.

The key here is to ensure that the bug is fixed in the future, and the only way to do that is to actually contact the manufacturer of the software.  If it is a bug in the Operating System, the manufacturer will contact the OS manufacturer and they can collaborate on the resolution….

Alas, I have seen far too many people just throw their hands up, and not report the problem…