There are a few things to keep in mind when contacting a support department, especially when doing so through email.

1. Double and triple check your email address. If it isn't entered exactly right, support will not be able to contact you. If you do NOT receive a response from support, the first thing to check is what email address you entered. I'd say that over 95% of the cases where there is no answer from support, it is because the email address is not correct.

2. It is better to offer too much information than not enough, when contacting support. Important information to include in most cases is the version of Windows you are using, how much RAM is on the system, how much free disk space is on the system, the version of the software you are having difficulties with (if this applies), and if the contact is about other devices, the make and model of the device. If you do not know how to get this information, be up front with the technician if he/she asks for it.

3. Don't kill the messenger. Regardless of the difficulty you are having, the technician is there to help you. Ranting and raving, whether through phone or email, is very counter productive and can mean that it will take longer to correct the problem you are having. Being civil will help the technician to help you more quickly.

4. Describe exactly what you are seeing. If you don't know the computer term for something, don't try to wing it, just describe what it is that you see, in your own words. If the technician wants to clarify what you are seeing, they will ask. About 80% of technical support is figuring out what the customer is actually seeing, and what is really happening.

5. Follow the technician's steps, especially in email. If necessary, print the email out. There is nothing more aggrevating to a technician (and ultimately to the user) that to try to help someone who is either trying to anticipate what the technician is going to have them do next, or that indicat that they are following along when they aren't.

6. Refrain from badmouthing anybody's product. Doing so does not help with the problem and it puts you in a bad light, as a complainer and whiner. Likewise, the sign of a GOOD technician is that they will NEVER badmouth someone else's products. If a technician says anything bad about somebody else's product, they are being unprofessional, and the can't be trusted because of this.

7. If you don't understand a particular step, ask about it; identify what it is that you don't understand and ask for clarification. Do NOT assume.

8. Be polite. There is nothing that will make a support call or email easier to get through for the user or the technician, so much as being polite. And after the technician has helped you, it takes no effort to say "Thank you", yet here is a little secret...even YOU will feel a little better if you do.