Change one thing, and write it down
Test one change at a time and keep a short record of what you tried.
When something stops working, the temptation is to change five settings at once and hope.
If it starts working, you do not know which change did it. If it does not, you now have five new things wrong.
Change one thing. Test. Write one line: what you changed, and what happened. Then change it back if it did not help.
A page of paper next to the computer is enough. Date, change, result. Three words each.
Key points
- Change one thing at a time.
- Test after every single change.
- Write one short line about what happened.
- Undo anything that did not help.
- Your notes are the real repair tool.
What to remember
- Reversing a change is easy when you know exactly which change you made.
- Slow and single-file beats fast and tangled almost every time.
- Undoing failures keeps your machine close to a known, working starting point.
Try this
Put a small notepad and pen beside your computer today, and write the date and one line the next time you change any setting.
Practice: Change one thing, and write it down. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.