View original (French)

Obtain a truly free user manual

Cassiopee38 Posted messages 2 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   -  
Trimardeur Posted messages 3 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   -

Hello,

I’m looking for a site where I can find an instruction manual FOR FREE.

Indeed, many sites claim to be free but in reality are not. Is there a community of internet users that would feed a database of user manuals for devices?

Thanks in advance.


5 answers

  1.
    Clarckos Posted messages 10085 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   940
     

    Hello Cassiopeia:

    Know that Google does indexing of what it can find, but the company or the person who would try to gather all the manuals has nothing to gain.

    Several options:

    - Manufacturer site > depending on the age of the object and site support, the manuals are still there, otherwise,

    - Manufacturer brand > contact or email request.

    - Site like Notice-Facile.com > which groups a good number of manuals by brands

    - Help forum > Sometimes users keep the manuals and can share them, this still represents a small chance, and failing that, manuals close to the exact model may be sufficient

    To my knowledge, there is no such community.
    In case you’re curious, a CCM article from last year on this topic:

    https://www.commentcamarche.net/applis-sites/services-en-ligne/799-trouver-une-notice-ou-un-mode-d-emploi-en-pdf/

    Happy reading.

    1
    1. brucine Posted messages 25217 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 181
       

      Hello,

      Every product sold in the EU must legally be accompanied not only by a printed user manual or a digital link, but in terms of our interest in French.

      The problem theoretically only arises for second-hand devices or for no-name Chinese junk that wash their hands of it.

      In the second case, one can try to search for similar devices; they often have the peculiarity of being marketed under dozens of different "brands."

      In the first case indeed there is no 100% solution; if the manufacturer still exists, there is a risk that the link will only be hosted for a certain period, and nothing obliges anyone, individual or site, to make it freely or for a fee, but if some sites do so in the second scenario, it is because that is how they live.

      They are no smarter than the average person and unless one has anticipated by collecting the manuals as the devices were marketed, it is the barrel of Danaides since there are so many; they themselves obtained them (or not) through sufficiently targeted searches.

      0
  2. Didi64_549 Posted messages 2900 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention  
     

    Hello,

    Sometimes on the manufacturer's site for the devices, the free manual can be found; you have to look everywhere.

    0
  3. Cassiopee38 Posted messages 2 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention  
     

    Thanks to the three of you for your responses, I will look into the manufacturer’s side, I’ll let you know if I find anything.

    I remember a site (maybe 20 years ago, possibly more) where you could find manuals for free, it was the time when the internet was still seen as a space for sharing. It still is, but business is taking more and more space. Fortunately, there are still forums like this one.

    Thank you for taking the time for me, have a good day.

    0
  4. GOLDWING52 Posted messages 68 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   16
     

    Hello,
    I often use the 20 Minutes newspaper site:

    https://mesnotices.20minutes.fr/
     

    To try.

    Have a nice day.

    Goldwing52

    0
  6. Trimardeur Posted messages 3 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention  
     

    Hello,

    I often use this site https://www.central-manuels.com/; it doesn’t have everything, but many old devices are covered.

    Best regards, Daniel.

    Knowledge is acquired by experience; all the rest is just information. Albert Einstein

    0