Message TO MSoft?

  • Thread starter Thread starter JimL
  • Start date Start date
JimL said:
Is there any way of getting a question to someone at MS?
Click to expand...

Submit feedback or a problem ticket.

Is there a general subject/problem you are trying to address?
 
Shenan Stanley said:
Submit feedback or a problem ticket.

Is there a general subject/problem you are trying to address?
Click to expand...

I posted it on alt.comp.hardware a few days ago. I got an instant "buy a
new burner," reply. Since this burner has been used so rarely and stopped
so suddenly (no glitches along the way) I hesitate to spend the cash for a
replacement not being certain a new one will actually fix the problem.

I described what appeared to be strange behavior in IMAPI, but got no
replies about that. So I figured I might get something about IMAPI from
"home base."

Thanks
 
JimL said:
I described [at alt.comp.hardware]
Click to expand...

You described there, not here. You want help (maybe) but yet you want
us to dig out information from your prior post that we have to go
hunting for? Okay ... (sing the Jeopardy theme song while waiting) ...

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=author:jiml+group:alt.comp.hardware&scoring=d

Which of those posts are about THIS unidentified problem? I don't see a
likely candidate thread (based on the Subject headers shown in the
results).
what appeared to be strange behavior in IMAPI,
Click to expand...

How could anyone ELSE use that information to help diagnose your
unidentified problem for unidentified "behavior".
but got no
replies about that.
Click to expand...

Really not a surpise if your post there was similar to this one.
So I figured I might get something about IMAPI from
"home base."
Click to expand...

Sure, but you'll have to pay for the support ticket unless you paid for
a retail version of Windows and the solution is something to do with
Windows. They'll require your credit card info first so they can charge
you if it turns out not to be a Windows problem, if you have already
used up your incident reports for the retail version of Windows, or if
you got an OEM version which included no support tickets.

If you're determined to pay for support from Microsoft, follow their
links.

- Start at their home page: http://www.microsoft.com.
- Click on the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of that web page.
- Click on the "View Product Solution Centers" link.
- Pick your product (Windows XP, I assume).
- Two ways to go from here (but same result):
o Click on the "Contact a support professional ..." link on the right
side.
o Or click on the "Contacts" link in the left frame. Then click on
the "Contact a professional by ..." link.
- Pick the particular edition of your product.
- Answer the question about your use of the product.
- Pick a category (probably Other).
- Agree to the terms and click Continue.
- Pick a support option.
 
Shenan asked:
Is there a general subject/problem you are trying to address?
Click to expand...

I answered.

You chewed my leg.

Did I get that 'bout right?


VanguardLH said:
JimL said:
I described [at alt.comp.hardware]
Click to expand...

You described there, not here. You want help (maybe) but yet you want
us to dig out information from your prior post that we have to go
hunting for? Okay ... (sing the Jeopardy theme song while waiting) ...

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=author:jiml+group:alt.comp.hardware&scoring=d

Which of those posts are about THIS unidentified problem? I don't see a
likely candidate thread (based on the Subject headers shown in the
results).
what appeared to be strange behavior in IMAPI,
Click to expand...

How could anyone ELSE use that information to help diagnose your
unidentified problem for unidentified "behavior".
but got no
replies about that.
Click to expand...

Really not a surpise if your post there was similar to this one.
So I figured I might get something about IMAPI from
"home base."
Click to expand...

Sure, but you'll have to pay for the support ticket unless you paid for
a retail version of Windows and the solution is something to do with
Windows. They'll require your credit card info first so they can charge
you if it turns out not to be a Windows problem, if you have already
used up your incident reports for the retail version of Windows, or if
you got an OEM version which included no support tickets.

If you're determined to pay for support from Microsoft, follow their
links.

- Start at their home page: http://www.microsoft.com.
- Click on the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of that web page.
- Click on the "View Product Solution Centers" link.
- Pick your product (Windows XP, I assume).
- Two ways to go from here (but same result):
o Click on the "Contact a support professional ..." link on the right
side.
o Or click on the "Contacts" link in the left frame. Then click on
the "Contact a professional by ..." link.
- Pick the particular edition of your product.
- Answer the question about your use of the product.
- Pick a category (probably Other).
- Agree to the terms and click Continue.
- Pick a support option.
Click to expand...
 
Are you suggesting you know a lot about IMAPI?

VanguardLH said:
JimL said:
I described [at alt.comp.hardware]
Click to expand...

You described there, not here. You want help (maybe) but yet you want
us to dig out information from your prior post that we have to go
hunting for? Okay ... (sing the Jeopardy theme song while waiting) ...

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=author:jiml+group:alt.comp.hardware&scoring=d

Which of those posts are about THIS unidentified problem? I don't see a
likely candidate thread (based on the Subject headers shown in the
results).
what appeared to be strange behavior in IMAPI,
Click to expand...

How could anyone ELSE use that information to help diagnose your
unidentified problem for unidentified "behavior".
but got no
replies about that.
Click to expand...

Really not a surpise if your post there was similar to this one.
So I figured I might get something about IMAPI from
"home base."
Click to expand...

Sure, but you'll have to pay for the support ticket unless you paid for
a retail version of Windows and the solution is something to do with
Windows. They'll require your credit card info first so they can charge
you if it turns out not to be a Windows problem, if you have already
used up your incident reports for the retail version of Windows, or if
you got an OEM version which included no support tickets.

If you're determined to pay for support from Microsoft, follow their
links.

- Start at their home page: http://www.microsoft.com.
- Click on the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of that web page.
- Click on the "View Product Solution Centers" link.
- Pick your product (Windows XP, I assume).
- Two ways to go from here (but same result):
o Click on the "Contact a support professional ..." link on the right
side.
o Or click on the "Contacts" link in the left frame. Then click on
the "Contact a professional by ..." link.
- Pick the particular edition of your product.
- Answer the question about your use of the product.
- Pick a category (probably Other).
- Agree to the terms and click Continue.
- Pick a support option.
Click to expand...
 
JimL said:
Are you suggesting you know a lot about IMAPI?
Click to expand...

If you have a programming obstacle using the API, I'd suggest pursuing
the matter in a programming newsgroup. Another place to explore is
www.experts-exchange.com but be sure to select a programming group
rather than a general discussion group. If that's the level of help
that you need, the incident tickets included with the retail versions of
Windows might not cover your problem and you'll end up paying Microsoft
for their advanced support. Discussions here are mostly oriented to the
client viewpoint.

Did YOU find your own post over in the alt.comp.hardware group? If so,
you could provide a Google Groups link to it if you really wanted anyone
else to review your case to see if they can help. Otherwise, as per
your Subject, your question here has been answered. $60 to open a
ticket at Microsoft seems pricey to mean when it seems you haven't much
explored the free or cheaper alternatives available to you (but that
doesn't mean that I can help because I don't know what is the problem).
 
If you have a programming obstacle using the API,
Click to expand...

That's the problem with people getting all wound up about how questions are
asked and where. People keep bitching because questions aren't asked
expertly. If I were an expert I wouldn't be asking questions on issues
other people think are easy.

How the @#$%^&^@#$% do I know if I have a "programming obstacle using the
API?"

Someone suggested I look at Event Viewer. In Event Viewer I saw that IMAPI
turned on then turned off. I went on and observed other IMAPI behaviors.
Normal or abnormal? How should I know? I ask questions - however I can.
 
That's the problem with people getting all wound up about how questions are
asked and where. People keep bitching because questions aren't asked
expertly. If I were an expert I wouldn't be asking questions on issues
other people think are easy.

How the @#$%^&^@#$% do I know if I have a "programming obstacle using the
API?"

Someone suggested I look at Event Viewer. In Event Viewer I saw that IMAPI
turned on then turned off. I went on and observed other IMAPI behaviors.
Normal or abnormal? How should I know? I ask questions - however I can.
Click to expand...

He's trying to help, asking you to show the post(s) that describe your
problem in detail because you haven't yet described it here. If you
*do* want help, describe the problem, here, in easy to understand
words. Else buy a new burner or spend your money with MS. You choose,
but don't shout at those trying to help!
 
JimL said:
That's the problem with people getting all wound up about how
questions are asked and where. People keep bitching because
questions aren't asked expertly. If I were an expert I wouldn't be
asking questions on issues other people think are easy.
Click to expand...

You're right, of course. Sometimes people get a little short and
although they give a good direction they fail to follow up with what you
need to do with them. Other are vague on purpose and figure you should
figure it out; quite rudely IMO.
Checking the Event Viewer usually means to look there for Errors that
may indicate where a problem might be coming from; whatever the reason,
it should have been explained.
Either ask for clarification when that happens, explain your level of
expertise, or just go on and ignore the post and look for one that makes
sense. It takes a thicker skin to use the newsgroups and complaining
does nothing but give them reason to continue with their egotistical
responses.
How the @#$%^&^@#$% do I know if I have a "programming obstacle using
the API?"

Someone suggested I look at Event Viewer. In Event Viewer I saw that
IMAPI turned on then turned off. I went on and observed other IMAPI
behaviors. Normal or abnormal? How should I know? I ask questions -
however I can.
Click to expand...

I haven't followed every post of this thread so I don't recall your
original question but it seems to have changed somewhere along the line
anyway; otherwise I'd take a stab at it. All I can leave you with at
the moment is that even though it has Microsoft in the name, these
groups are not access to Microsoft people. The folk here are just users
like you and I, hopefully sharing their knowledge and experience with
others. And lastlyu it's very important to describe a problem or
question as fully as possible as much as you can, wherever you ask
questions. And lastly: Here's a link with hints on that sort of thing:

How to Post a newsgroup question effectively:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q555375


HTH,

Twayne`
 
Twayne said:
I haven't followed every post of this thread so I don't recall your
original question but it seems to have changed somewhere along the line
anyway; otherwise I'd take a stab at it.
Click to expand...

You're right of course. My actual original question (how to contact MS) has
been answered.

As to further stuff in the thread, the "How to ask a question" page is
rather beside the point if you don't even know what the question is. Here's
"the whole thing."

I stumbled across the IMAPI entries when someone suggested I look in EV for
something - almost simultaneously with finding that my burner wouldn't do an
ISO.

Stepping through the EV entries I saw that IMAPI was turning on at boot then
turning off immediately. That much I've posted here. I think I also
mentioned here that IMAPI does not turn on when either of my two burner
programs go into action (whether set to auto or manual). Microsoft
support's single suggestion says to set IMAPI to automatic.

I doubt I have anything pertinent to add to the subject, but an expert might
have more to dig out. It just doesn't seem to me that things are adding up.
The hardware hasn't been used much. IMAPI is weird.

Thanks
 
JimL wrote:
As to further stuff in the thread, the "How to ask a question" page
is rather beside the point if you don't even know what the question
is. Here's "the whole thing."
Click to expand...
<snipped>

If that part is in reference to my signature - it's a signature block. It
has nothing to do with you or with anything you asked. You can Google my
name and see I have been using that signature for years. No plans on
changing it. ;-)
 
Shenan Stanley said:
JimL wrote:

<snipped>

If that part is in reference to my signature - it's a signature
block. It has nothing to do with you or with anything you asked. You
can Google my name and see I have been using that signature for
years. No plans on changing it. ;-)
Click to expand...

Relax; I mentioned it to him to back up something I said about providing
as much pertinent information as he knew; sort of a checklist to go by.
I'm pretty much certain that's what he meant, and I have to agree with
his opinion in the context he used it in but reading it would have
helped him IMO. If you look, it's a response to my post, not to yours.
Twayne quote ...
jimL response

HTH,

Twayne`



Twayne`
 
JimL said:
You're right of course. My actual original question (how to contact
MS) has been answered.

As to further stuff in the thread, the "How to ask a question" page is
rather beside the point if you don't even know what the question is.
Here's "the whole thing."

I stumbled across the IMAPI entries when someone suggested I look in
EV for something - almost simultaneously with finding that my burner
wouldn't do an ISO.

Stepping through the EV entries I saw that IMAPI was turning on at
boot then turning off immediately. That much I've posted here. I
think I also mentioned here that IMAPI does not turn on when either
of my two burner programs go into action (whether set to auto or
manual). Microsoft support's single suggestion says to set IMAPI to
automatic.
I doubt I have anything pertinent to add to the subject, but an
expert might have more to dig out. It just doesn't seem to me that
things are adding up. The hardware hasn't been used much. IMAPI is
weird.
Thanks
Click to expand...

OK; that was just my 2 ¢. I don't know the system well enough to
justify (or not) the IMAPI events you're seeing. I don't see it here.

You would find the "How to ask ... " a useful bit of advice and sort of
a checklist if you'd look at it. You don't have to know the question in
order to provide the information generalized in the link and what should
be supplied with any query in order to speed things along. IMO you
should have looked at it. If nothing else it might help you remember to
keep your OS version stated, which log in Event Viewer you were
watching, whether it was informational, a warning or an error, and
several other things in your posts/responses.
Also, it doesn't really appear to me that you don't know what the
question is. I'd interpret what you wrote here to be asking for a
validation of the IMAPI triggering and clearing that you're seeing. If
there is an instance somewhere of a drive not operating correctly, or
whatever, as I suspect there is, I don't see an effort here to find the
syntax or method of description for anything but IMAPI turning on and
then off in some mysterious log file. If, in Event Viewer, they are not
listed as Errors, then nothing is "wrong" as far as the operating system
is concerned. It's simply reporting the events. Trying to fathom the
"why" of some of those things is often a fruitless task. OTOH if they
relate to an ongoing problem somehow, they can be, but aren't
necessarily, an indicator of "something", but what? lol, gets to be
quite a round about sometimes.

Cheers,

Twayne`
 
Shenan Stanley said:
JimL wrote:

<snipped>

If that part is in reference to my signature > Shenan Stanley
Click to expand...


Nope. Twayne made a special reference to it. Which is fine. I was just
saying - if you don't even know where to start it's impossible do it
expertly.

Thanks
 
OK; that was just my 2 ¢. I don't know the system well enough to justify
(or not) the IMAPI events you're seeing. I don't see it here.
Click to expand...

In Event Viewer -> System. Are you saying you don't get an IMAPI entry upon
boot at all? Or that you don't see it startup PLUS shutdown upon boot?
You would find the "How to ask ... " a useful bit of advice and sort of a
checklist if you'd look at it. You don't have to know the question in
order to provide the information generalized in the link and what should
be supplied with any query in order to speed things along. IMO you
should have looked at it. If nothing else it might help you remember to
keep your OS version stated,
Click to expand...

I figured that since this is an XP group I'd not have to identify XP. But I
suppose it makes sense that variations of XP have different functions.
which log in Event Viewer you were watching, whether it was
informational, a warning or an error,
Click to expand...

I have read the "how to ask" stuff, but must not remember some finer points.
Any time I have spoken of an error entry I have said so explicitly. In
reference to IMAPI I merely stated that it shut down as soon as it started.
It never occurred to me that anyone would need to now exactly how I knew
that.
Also, it doesn't really appear to me that you don't know what the
question is. I'd interpret what you wrote here to be asking for a
validation of the IMAPI triggering and clearing that you're seeing.
Click to expand...

If you want MY real question it is "Why doesn't my burner burn." But that
kind of question is DEFINITELY not in the spirit of "How to ask."

I found the IMAPI thing by accident, maybe the day before the burner issue.
While on a completely different subject I noticed that it was turning on and
off and asked someone somewhere why that would happen to a CD-burner
service. I got no reply and Googled it, whereupon it occurred to me that it
(IMAPI) might be related to the problem I had with the ISO. I backed into
IMAPI.

To rephrase my question elsewhere, "Is this IMAPI thing a likely culprit?"
I still have no idea if it is, but have been trying to find out - because,
as I said, the hardware is barely used and I don't have resources to throw
away.
If there is an instance somewhere of a drive not operating correctly, or
whatever, as I suspect there is,
Click to expand...

At the time I burned my last CD over a year ago I had had no problems
whatsoever with CD burning. Then came the sudden and total failure a few
days ago. In my experience you get glitches before you get total failure.
So, as I said, things didn't seem to add up. Which is why I don't really
know the question.
Trying to fathom the "why" of some of those things is often a
fruitless task.
Click to expand...

Buying things I don't need on an extremely limited budget is of more concern
to me than a theoretical "why." But I have ordered a new drive which I can
only hope helps something, which I'm not at all certain will be the case.
(I don't normally spend hard earned cash when I'm not certain why.)

Thanks
 
I'm going to sound like I'm bitching you out, but I'm not, honest. I'm
simply trying to show yo what I think is an error in your ways and why
IMO this has deteriorated to a point where people that could give you a
great response may now be bypassing the thread. You're welcome to your
own opinions, but often you have to help others help you.

In Event Viewer -> System. Are you saying you don't get an IMAPI
entry upon boot at all? Or that you don't see it startup PLUS
shutdown upon boot?
Click to expand...

Not that I can see anyway. It may come and go before I can see it.
Sorry; that's all I meant. I'd try to duplicate the method you used but
you never stated it. I still think what you're seeing is normal, but I
am NOT saying it doesn't give you a hint about something. Keep reading,
please.

Here are a couple well written links that will explain a little what
IMAPI is about:
------------------
http://www.theeldergeek.com/imapi_cd-burning_com_service.htm

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/Services/IMAPI_CD-Burning_COM_Service.htm

Excerpt from another site:
Image Mastering API Service for CD-Burning. This service, introduced in
Windows XP and 2003, manages recording data & music to CD using the
Microsoft IMAPI standard, a standard which allows any application which
conforms to it, to be able to write directly onto a CD using either the
Redbook audio format, or the Joliet or ISO-9660 formats for data CDs.
When this service is enabled, a Recording tab appears in the Properties
sheet for your CD-Writer and you are then also able to drop data
directly onto a CD-R from Windows Explorer or from within Windows
applications, without the need for third party CD-Writer software.
------------------
I figured that since this is an XP group I'd not have to identify XP.
But I suppose it makes sense that variations of XP have different
functions.
Click to expand...

But there's more to it: Like Home or Pro, no SP, SP1, SP2, SP3? Each one
of those can matter.

Except for Security and the LAN, Home and Pro are supposed to be the
same but little differences appear all over the place. I don't know if
it matters or not in this case and neither do you, so it should be
listed and it may matter to someone expert in your area, along with the
Service Pack level.
Below is a short excerpt from that how to file, among a few others,
which you should adhere to as applicable to your situation; you should
have done the "*" items. If you consider these irrelevent, then I'm
afraid newsgroups aren't going to be very useful to you because without
whichever ones are applicable, you're limiting yourself to just a lot of
guesses.

-----------
*- What Operating System and Service Pack level are you using?
- What Exchange version and Service Pack level are you using?
- Tell us about your Active Directory domain environment, or if on a
SOHO network, then information about your workgroup settings.
- Tell us about your name resolution topology (DNS, WINS etc.)
*- If applicable, what does the LAN/WAN topology look like? Include
TCP/IP-relevant information.
- Migration scenarios - add in your exact details.
*- What does the Event Log say?
*- Do you have current backups? Why not?
*- What does the backup log say?
*- Are you using Anti-Virus or Anti-Spyware/Adware tool?
*- Have you checked for virus infection?
*- Is there a Firewall on the host or on the network?
*- Do you have sufficient free disk space? Check again.
*- Any other information you think we might need in order to help you.
------------
* And I like to add, are you answering ALL the questions others are
asking you? If not, you could be avoiding a useful response.

There are a couple other lists, in the article too that you should have
read closely. I can only suspect that you only glanced at it and didn't
really read it, from your reaction.

You've answered part of the above obliquely, but not all of it.
I have read the "how to ask" stuff, but must not remember some finer
points. Any time I have spoken of an error entry I have said so
explicitly. In reference to IMAPI I merely stated that it shut down
as soon as it started. It never occurred to me that anyone would need
to now exactly how I knew that.
Click to expand...

And yet, you still have not said precisely how you knew that. And were
there any ERRORS there in any of the Event Viewer logs and if so, which
log, was it current, and what were they?

Perhaps at this point it's a tad clearer now. I'm guessing that you see
it turn on at boot time, find no CD in the drive, and thus turning off
again.
If there is a CD in the drive, does it stay loaded? If not, this
could be an important hint. As in, the CD isn't being detected as being
in the optical drive. You've said it turns on and off a few times but
nothing else about it; was a CD in the drive or not? If not, what about
when there is a CD in the drive? and so on.
If you want MY real question it is "Why doesn't my burner burn." But
that kind of question is DEFINITELY not in the spirit of "How to ask."
Click to expand...

Yes, it is, and specifically in the excerpt I provided above, in
reference to providing information for the othes to help you. You
haven't even mentioned whether it's an IDE, SCSI or SATA drive, for
instance, which, if things weren't so far off on a tangent, I'm sure
someone would ask you but the thread appears to have slipped over to
ATAPI turning off and on; the reference to the mystery drive not working
was lost completely. One problem you've h ad too is people are snipping
the post improperly. The original question is completely lost, the
problem drive has slipped off the radar, and only the ATAPI question
remains, but to an outsider, to what purpose?
I found the IMAPI thing by accident, maybe the day before the burner
issue. While on a completely different subject I noticed that it was
turning on and off and asked someone somewhere why that would happen
to a CD-burner service. I got no reply and Googled it, whereupon it
occurred to me that it (IMAPI) might be related to the problem I had
with the ISO. I backed into IMAPI.
Click to expand...

It might be an indicator of what's wrong. DOES it stay loaded when
there is a CD in the optical drive? I think it should. But I don't
think you bothered to state that detail. For the moment, based on the
little informatio available, I'm feeling it might be either an optical
drive or a controller, dependent on whether the driver is staying loaded
or not. But we don't know that.
To rephrase my question elsewhere, "Is this IMAPI thing a likely
culprit?" I still have no idea if it is, but have been trying to find
out - because, as I said, the hardware is barely used and I don't
have resources to throw away.
Click to expand...

Depending on the answers I asked above, it may be an indicator of WHERE
the problem is, but no, I don't think at this point that IMAPI is the
"culprit". Like I said, I'm currently leaning toward, but not sure due
to lack of information, that what you see is quite normal for the
situation you've forced me to assume exists. There is no finite
information to go with it, but there could be easily enough.
At the time I burned my last CD over a year ago I had had no problems
whatsoever with CD burning. Then came the sudden and total failure a
few days ago. In my experience you get glitches before you get total
failure. So, as I said, things didn't seem to add up. Which is why I
don't really know the question.
Click to expand...

Glitches before failing is definitly not a rule of thumb regarldess of
your experience. There are so many different ways for so many different
things to go wrong that there really isn't any such thing as "usually".
Your drive worked: Then it didn't work. Since it was a long time
between work/not work, there probably have been many updates installed,
for one thing, plus you could have problems with anything from a bad
CMOS battery to a drive problem. To get around that you have to provide
as much information as you have, use checklists like provided above if
you have to, and get as much information posted as you can. Along the
way you noticed IMAPI doing something under unknown conditions to us and
known only to you w/r to whether there was a CD in the drive or not,
what you used to notice it, and so on.

It's all included one way or another in the excerpt above.
Buying things I don't need on an extremely limited budget is of more
concern to me than a theoretical "why." But I have ordered a new
drive which I can only hope helps something, which I'm not at all
certain will be the case. (I don't normally spend hard earned cash
when I'm not certain why.)
Click to expand...

I don't believe I ever said you had to buy a new drive because I've
never read anything that said you needed a new drive. In fact, the
"drive" you ordered is vague and pretty much not useful information
since we don't know whether you ordered an optical drive, an internal
hard drive, an external hard drive, now what your plans are for it.
Making people assume will kill you in this game.
If it's an optical drive, you might luck out and find that was the
problem; it's entirely possible. But I haven't seen anything to make
that more than a shotgun attempt at guessing what's wrong. I hope it
was the right guess, for your sake.

I think this is likely the last I'll post here unless I see something
that makes something obvious. Basically if the drive wasn't the
problem, I'd suggest starting a new thread and getting all the data you
have together and included in it.

HTH,

Twayne`
 
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