Finding Help Online for New Windows XP Users
Published: August 19, 2002
By Joli Ballew, Windows XP Expert Zone Community Columnist
Editor's Note: Past articles by members of the online community are archived for your use. The information may become outdated as technology changes. For the most current information, please search the Web site or post a question in the newsgroups.
If you're just getting started using Windows XP, and you want help learning about the new user interface, or help using the new features, there is a great deal of free help and how-to information available from Microsoft and other sources on your computer and on the Internet.
The Help and Support Center included with Windows XP is a great tool that provides access to online and off-line help. Using the Help and Support Center in Windows XP explains how to use all the tools available in this resource.
There's lots of help available in other places too. I will show you how to locate and access self-training tools, how to learn about Windows XP on your own, and where to find online sources of assistance. Everything I discuss here is free, so learn and discover to your heart's content!
Free Self-Training
The Internet is a great resource for free training on Windows XP, and a valuable source is Microsoft's own Web site. Start by exploring the Windows XP Home Page. Choosing to Take the Windows XP Tour leads to demos that give an overview of the product:
| • | Take the Windows XP Tour to learn what's new to XP and how to use the new features to get the most out of the operating system. |
| • | Windows XP How-To Videos let you watch an expert set up a network, share resources, get online, work with photos, and more. |
Non-Microsoft sites offer free training too. Computer Training Software.com sells Windows XP help videos, but you can view a number of free, short demos to get started. Custom Guide.com also sells Windows XP help, but has a 124-page free guide available for download that is extremely informative. VTC offers free demos that cover the fundamentals of Windows XP. It's easy to locate more—just type Free Windows XP Tutorials in the address line of your Web browser.
Help from the Expert Zone
Since you're reading this article, you've obviously found the Expert Zone, but you might not know about all of the support options here. There are columns of course, as well as tips, chats, user groups, newsgroups, downloads, and how-to and support articles like this one. If you're looking for free training, you can find it here. Check out the How-to articles first and don't forget to read the Tip of the Day.
There are other neat links too:
| • | What's Hot topics change regularly and often link to support articles. |
| • | Downloads provides access to the latest fixes, enhancements, and drivers from Microsoft. |
| • | The Exploring Windows XP Newsletter lets you sign up for a twice-monthly newsletter that's all about Windows XP. |
| • | Upcoming Events lists topics to be covered in WebCasts and chats on Windows XP topics. You can also read transcripts of past WebCasts if you want free info on a topic already discussed. |
After you've worked through some free tutorials and begun working with Windows XP, you may still have questions. People out there do have the answers to your questions—you just have to know where to find them.
Group Support from Newsgroups
When looking for answers and support, consider joining a newsgroup. Newsgroups are ongoing online discussions about a particular topic. When you select a topic from the left-hand pane in a newsgroups area, a list of conversations will appear in the main body of your screen. Click a plus sign to delve into the details of a particular conversation thread. To add your ideas to an ongoing thread, click Post Reply. Or select New Post to start a new thread. If there are conversations that are of special interest, you can subscribe and you will receive an e-mail message whenever someone adds a new posting.
 | When looking for answers and support, consider joining a newsgroup. Newsgroups are ongoing online discussions about a particular topic. |  | |
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All Microsoft newsgroups are available through both a Web-based newsreader and an NNTP newsreader, such as Outlook Express. New users often find the Web-based reader easier to start with, because it uses the familiar Web browser interface and you don't have to install anything. For more information on joining newsgroups, see Using Newsgroups on the Microsoft Communities Web site.
The Windows XP Expert Zone links to 18 Windows XP newsgroups. I am a member of three newsgroups here at Microsoft, including Windows Basics, New Users, and Help and Support. You can join the newsgroups at Windows XP Newsgroups. Once there, scroll through the list of newsgroups to locate the one you want to view.
From here, you can post a question and get an answer from other Windows XP users. I'll be there too, so I'll look for you!
Consider participating in an online conversation called a chat when you see one scheduled that covers a topic you'd like to know more about. A chat is an online conversation that takes place in real time. To ask questions and share your thoughts, all you have to do is go online and open the chat interface at the appointed time. Transcripts of chat sessions are often posted so people can read them later, but to actually participate in the conversation as it is taking place, you need to be present while the session is open. Chat sessions are especially popular when a celebrity or well-known expert is slated to answer questions. Upcoming chats that relate to Windows XP are listed frequently on the Expert Zone home page. For more details on how to participate, see Using Microsoft Chat.
Related Communities and Groups
Windows XP-related communities and groups on the Internet that are not run by Microsoft are also a good place to post questions and get answers to problems. Independent communities are sometimes referred to as forums or bulletin boards to distinguish them from the Usenet newsgroups such as the Microsoft Windows XP newsgroups. People who share a common interest in Windows XP join together online and want to trade information about it. There lots of places to join groups, and I belong to a few on Yahoo. You can also find lots of Windows XP groups on MSN.
The Expert Zone provides links to many Windows XP-related communities. Read the How to Participate in the Windows XP Community section to find out how you can get involved.
User groups are another valuable source of information and support. User groups are local clubs in which people meet face-to-face to share their common interest in computing. Many groups are free and meet monthly or bi-monthly. Just go to the Expert Zone, click User Groups, and enter information about your city, state, and zip code, what type of people you want to meet with (Windows XP enthusiasts in this case), and click the Find button. If any user groups exist in your area, you can find out about them here.
Microsoft In-Depth Help
If you run across a problem that you can't solve, after trying newsgroups, online communities, the Expert Zone, and other Windows XP Web sites, you'll need to dig a little deeper.
Microsoft Product Support Services contains in-depth information about using Windows XP and troubleshooting the most commonly reported issues. Check the Windows XP Support Center for a table of contents, including links to getting started information, frequently asked questions (FAQ), and top support issues.
You'll also find answers to specific questions and issues in the Microsoft Product Support Services Knowledge Base. These articles address problems that are often more specific and complex. For example, if you have a problem with Windows XP shut down, you can search the Knowledge Base for a solution. Searching for Shut down problems with Windows XP finds articles on How to troubleshoot shutdown problems, Changing shutdown preferences, and Clearing the paging file at shutdown.
You can access the Knowledge Base by clicking Support at the top of any Microsoft Web page, and then clicking Knowledge Base. When you are connected to the Internet, you can click Start, click Help and Support, enter a search term, and the results in the Help and Support Center search will include links to Knowledge Base articles. The articles are constantly updated to reflect new downloads, current issues, and relevant answers.
Another good resource is Microsoft TechNet. It's billed as online support for IT professionals, but the how-to content, product documentation, and troubleshooting information is useful for the rest of us too.
Explore the Windows XP Professional section of TechNet. This page is called "the Inside Scoop on Windows XP" and it contains detailed support information for people who support or deploy Windows XP Professional as part of their job. It might also contain the answer to a question you have as a consumer.
Third-Party Sites
There are plenty of third-party sites out there that offer help for Windows XP. You might need help with a driver or a piece of hardware from a particular manufacturer. For example, my digital camera blue screens my Windows XP machine when I try to load the old drivers, but if I go to the camera manufacturer's Web site, I can download drivers that are compatible with Windows XP. If you're having problems with a piece of hardware, try the manufacturer's Web site for a new driver before doing much else.
You can also find third-party sites listed on the Windows XP Expert Zone under Related Communities. This is a terrific page and offers more than a 100 links to sites, including links to PC Mechanic, Beta News, Roxio User Community, Computer World, Dell Talk Forum, Win Drivers, the Windows Support Center, and dozens more.
The Connected Home Online magazine is a great resource for networking, home entertainment, and digital media help in general.
Finally, there are also Windows XP experts who share tips on their own Web sites. Explore the Meet the Experts page to find links to some of the information they've published on the Internet. If you join a newsgroup, you're sure to run across them, because they're active in the Windows XP user community online and provide numerous tips in posts when answering questions.
As you can see, there are lots of sites out there that can assist you in finding answers and learning about the operating system. Microsoft offers lots of resources, including newsgroups. See you there!
Joli Ballew is a technology trainer and writer in the Dallas area. She hold several certifications including MCSE, A+, and MCDST. Joli has almost 20 books available, including Degunking Windows (Paraglyph Press), Hardcore Windows XP (McGraw-Hill), and Windows XP: Do Amazing Things (Microsoft Press). Joli is also a regular Microsoft Expert Zone columnist. Joli can be contacted at Joli_Ballew@hotmail.com.
