Easy Way to Record Error Messages

Q. My tech support people told me that whenever an error message appears on my screen I should write down what it says so they can figure out how to fix the underlying problem. But more often than not, I’m so busy and frustrated by the error that I just don’t have the time—or the patience—to do it. With all these high-tech functions, there must be some easy way to record the error messages without my having to stop and jot it down.

A. There is. Just press Ctrl+C (copy) while the error message is displayed, then open Notepad and press Ctrl+V (paste). The full text of the error message will be pasted into Notepad.

To evoke Notepad, which is a simple word processor installed free on all Windows computers, click on Start , All Programs and Accessories .