Product Support

At SSW we endeavour to provide you with the best support we can. Before answering your support questions we require that you perform some simple tasks:

1. Have you checked that you're able to meet the system requirements? (e.g. does the product require the .NET Framework installed?)
2. If you're not sure if you meet the system requirements we've created software that will check that you've got the most current service packs installed on your machine. SSW Diagnostics will check for and also provide links to the updates. Before sending support emails please install and run SSW Diagnostics.
3. Email us the SSW Diagnostics report and a description of the errors you are receiving and screen shots of the error messages you are getting, and the steps you followed before the bug happened. A great screen capture utility that we use is Fullshot which gives you a great range of capture options.
4. Subject <Application Name> <Version> <Category> (But why are email subjects so important?)

   From: Ulysses Maclaren
   Subject: Possible Bug: IStopWatch: Weekly report negative number

   Hi Frank,

   I got a negative number as the total for the 13th of Oct in the weekly report.
   ...

   Figure: Bad Example

   From: Ulysses Maclaren
   Subject: Possible Bug - IStopWatch 1.15 - Weekly report negative number

   Hi Frank,

   I got a negative number as the total for the 13th of Oct in the weekly report.
   ...

   Figure: Good Example - there is a version number next to the applicaiton name, and the developers can go to this version directly.

5. We also provide remote support if needed as per our Remote Support Standard

SSW Consulting Support

1. Address the email to info@s*w.com.au
2. Subject <Application Name> <Version> <Category> (But why are email subjects so important?)
3. Use one of the following Categories to determine when the work will be completed:
• BUG (if the application crashes to code) - Completed in the current Release
• IMPORTANT (for new issues) - Completed as part of the next Release with a high priority
• INCOMPLETE (if a requested item has not been completed) - Completed in the current Release
  

  Note: If a Category isn't assigned the issue will be added to the next Release with a standard priority

4. Describe your request, and include a screen shot if possible. The best way to do this is by using a fantastic utility called Fullshot. To minimise the size of your attachments, here are some simple rules.
5. Your Name and Phone
6. Please also run SSW Diagnostics which automatically emails us an analysis of software on a machine. Diagnostics requires the .NET Framework. If you cannot install the .NET Framework

Give us steps to reproduce the bug

It'll be easier and more efficient to reproduce the bug with your steps than without any instruction. Then we can investigate it and reply to you much quickly.

Here's a good example.

1. I clicked 'Configure' button to configure the sample database.

   

   Figure: Step 1 to reproduce the bug

2. In the following window, I clicked 'Select' button.

   

   Figure: Step 2 to reproduce the bug

3. Then I made settings for the New Database, and clicked 'Test' button. It showed me 'Connection Successful'.

   

   Figure: Step 3 to reproduce the bug

4. After that, I clicked 'Create' button and the error happened.

   

   Figure: The bug happened

Screen captures are always good

An image is worth a thousand words, that's true. So please add some screen captures in your Bug or Suggestion email.

• An email of reporting a bug

  

  Figure: Bad Example - Reporting a bug without screen capture

  

  Figure: Good Example - Reporting a bug with a screen capture

• An email of making a suggestion

  

  Figure: Bad Example - Making a suggestion with no screen capture

  

  Figure: Good Example - Making a suggestion with a screen capture

  See our rule on How To Use Balloons and configure your Fullshot.

Better than a written description with screenshot is a screen recording. This should be followed for a more detailed bug report. Use Snagit (preferred) or Jing to record your screen.

More Info... Bug Reporting with .NET Applications

.NET applications can sometimes produce a stack trace of an error, these error messages are all we need to figure out what has happened.  Please do not send us this screen shot, instead, select the top section of what's within this box and paste it in an email that you can send back to us.

The text within the 'Details' button is more useful for debugging and locating the problem.

Figure: Bug details window

Related rules

• Do you know the right way to report bugs?