When columnist Joy Schwabach's favourite game, Peggle, stopped working, another assistant sent her on a wild goose chase. Claude suggested a beta Windows Insider update was the likely cause and guided her to download an official Windows 11 file and run setup, which reinstalled Windows, kept her files and fixed the game, though she had to reinstall a few apps.
My [PROGRAM] stopped working on Windows [VERSION] after [RECENT CHANGE, E.G. AN UPDATE]. I've already tried [WHAT YOU TRIED]. What are the most likely causes, from simplest to most drastic fix? Walk me through each step in plain English, and before any step that could remove apps or files, tell me exactly what will be kept, what I should back up and how to undo it.
Replace the [PLACEHOLDERS] with your own details before you send it.
How to try it
- Tell Claude what stopped working, when it started and what you’ve tried.
- Work through its fixes from simplest to most drastic, backing up your files first.
- Only reinstall or repair Windows once you understand what will be kept and you have a backup.
More tech help use cases
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Trying to use a multimeter with what felt like a hundred settings, one user took a photo of it, asked Grok and worked out how to use it.
Here's a photo of my [GADGET, E.G. MULTIMETER / OVEN DIAL / CAMERA] and its settings. I want to [WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO]. Tell me which setting to pick and what each step should look like, in simple terms. If you can't read a label or I could damage something, tell me before I start.
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One user set her mum, whose first language is Mandarin, up with ChatGPT's voice dictation. Her mum's first move was researching how to fill a crack in a pavement wall, settling a 20-year argument with her dad.
Please answer in simple [LANGUAGE, E.G. MANDARIN] and keep answers short. I'd like to know how to [TASK, E.G. FILL A CRACK IN A GARDEN WALL]. Tell me what materials I need, the steps, and any safety tips.
Ask your appliance manuals questions with NotebookLM
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Using only the manual I've uploaded for my [APPLIANCE AND MODEL], answer this: [YOUR QUESTION, E.G. WHAT DOES THE FLASHING RED LIGHT MEAN?]. Quote the page or section you got it from, give me the steps in order, and tell me if the manual says I should call an engineer instead.
Reference: X @oncomp