How to look at the error code and googling

When your ADHD medication wears off, your focus and working memory are weaker. Looking at an error code or troubleshooting becomes frustrating.

If a solution doesn’t immediately work, I feels stuck and might “just throw it” at ChatGPT or stop.

I noticed that most people search for error codes differently (translate them, analyze them step by step), which makes me feel “shameful” or like I am doing it wrong.

Being Korean, I finds it unfamiliar or inefficient to search in English on Google. I notice my wife can get info more easily because she uses a simpler or more direct search approach.

A. Divide the problem into pieces

Instead of trying to search the whole problem in one long sentence, break it down:

Error code – the exact message from the system.

Context – what I was doing when it appeared.

System / Language / Version – e.g., “Windows 11”, “Node.js 24.11”, “Python 3.12”.

Outcome / symptom – e.g., “app crashes”, “does not compile”, “null pointer”.

B. Use multiple search strategies

People often only do literal copy-paste searches. I can try:

Exact code search: "ERROR 0x80070057" → in quotes for exact matches.

Describe the problem: Node.js cannot read property of undefined → without quotes, Google finds similar situations.

Translate keywords if needed: I can search in Korean and English simultaneously:
Google often mixes results in both languages.

C. Use simpler keywords

my wife’s approach seems natural: she searches what she would say aloud. You can do this too:

Instead of full theory: "how to fix Node.js error"

Or describe the behavior: "app crash after installing package"

D. Use ADHD-friendly methods

Keep a note app or text file with search keywords you’ve already tried.

Copy and paste error codes directly into Google to avoid memory strain.

Use “search, try, record, repeat” cyc