# Getting help with SysManager

SysManager is a solo-maintained hobby project, but I genuinely want it to be
useful. Here's where to go depending on what you need.

Two Discussions threads cover the ground this file does and a little more:
[**Start here**](https://github.com/laurentiu021/SystemManager/discussions/2346)
is the same routing as below plus what to expect and how long it takes, and
[**Roadmap**](https://github.com/laurentiu021/SystemManager/discussions/2345)
answers the recurring ones — why the download is unsigned, why there is no
telemetry, why there is no Store build.

## Where to ask

| Kind of question                                    | Go here                                                               |
| --------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| "How do I...?" / "Is this possible?"                | [Discussions › Q&A](https://github.com/laurentiu021/SystemManager/discussions/categories/q-a) — quiet enough that a question gets an answer rather than being buried |
| "This feature would be useful"                      | [Feature request issue](https://github.com/laurentiu021/SystemManager/issues/new?template=feature_request.yml) — or [Discussions › Ideas](https://github.com/laurentiu021/SystemManager/discussions/categories/ideas) if it's still a half-formed thought |
| "Something is broken"                               | [Bug report issue](https://github.com/laurentiu021/SystemManager/issues/new?template=bug_report.yml) |
| "I found a security problem"                        | [Security Advisory](https://github.com/laurentiu021/SystemManager/security/advisories/new) (private) · see [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md) |
| "I want to contribute code or docs"                 | [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) |

## Before you open an issue

A few quick things that make bug reports land faster:

1. **Check the latest release** — visit
   [Releases](https://github.com/laurentiu021/SystemManager/releases/latest)
   and make sure you're on the newest build. Many reports turn out to be
   fixed already.
2. **Search existing issues** — same topic may already be open or closed.
3. **Grab environment info** — click **"Copy environment info"** on the
   About tab inside the app. It copies a ready-to-paste block with your
   SysManager version, Windows version, architecture, .NET version and
   elevation state, plus a hardware summary — CPU, RAM, graphics card and
   driver, each drive's size and free space, and display resolution. Read it
   before you paste it somewhere public.
4. **Attach the logs** — **Save diagnostics bundle** on the About tab puts the
   newest three log files, the system report (with your network adapters' MAC
   addresses left out and the last two parts of your IP address masked) and the environment
   info into one zip, saved where you choose; nothing is sent. To pick a log
   yourself instead, `%LOCALAPPDATA%\SysManager\logs\` holds rolling daily
   logs — attach the one around the time the bug happened. **Report a problem**
   on the same tab opens the bug form with your version and elevation already
   filled in.

## What to expect

- **Bug reports** — first look within a few days. Reproducible bugs with
  logs usually get a fix or a workaround within a week.
- **Feature requests** — I read everything, but only implement a fraction.
  The more focused your request, the better its odds.
- **Questions** — best answered by Discussions; issues are for trackable
  work.

## Self-help

- [README.md](README.md) — feature tour and first-time flow
- [ARCHITECTURE.md](ARCHITECTURE.md) — how the app is organised internally
- [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) — what changed in each release

Two things people hit before the app even starts, both answered in the README rather than
needing an issue:

- **"Windows protected your PC"** on first launch —
  [what that box means and why](README.md#first-launch-windows-will-warn-you), or the
  [Q&A thread](https://github.com/laurentiu021/SystemManager/discussions/2347) if you'd
  rather read it as a question and an answer, with both verification steps spelled out.
- **Your antivirus flagged or quarantined the download** —
  [why an unsigned single-file build gets scored that way, and how to check the file for
  yourself](README.md#if-your-antivirus-flags-the-download).

Thanks for using SysManager!