Getting started with Windows Vista discussion groups

Applies to all editions of Windows Vista.
Which edition of Windows Vista am I using?

In this article

First, search
Reading discussion topics
Still no answer? Post your question
Explore the Windows Vista Community

Windows Vista discussion groups, also called newsgroups, are places on the Internet where Windows Vista users gather to help each other with computer problems and to discuss Windows Vista technologies and products. If you have a technical problem, you can search through current and past discussions for answers. You can also post questions of your own and reply to questions from others.

Discussion groups aren't the same as chat rooms, where all participants are online at the same time. In discussion groups, one person posts a question or comment, and then others append their replies over a period of days, weeks, or even months. In that way, discussions are a lot like e‑mail conversations, except that they're open to everyone on the Internet.

Although hosted by Microsoft, Windows Vista discussion groups are peer-to-peer communities and as such aren't formally monitored by Microsoft employees. The real stars of the show are the Microsoft MVPs (Most Valuable Professionals), independent technical gurus who volunteer their time and expertise to tirelessly answer questions from community members. You can get to know some of these top contributors by visiting the Meet the Experts page on the Windows Vista Community website.

Now that you know a bit about what discussion groups are, you're ready to learn how to use them.

First, search

Go to the Windows Vista discussion groups webpage, part of the Windows Vista Community. If you have a specific computer problem, try typing a few keywords or phrases in the Search For box in the middle of the page. Then click Go. With thousands of people visiting the discussion groups each month, there's a good chance your question has already been answered.

Picture of Search For box on the Windows Vista discussion groups webpage
Use this search box to search through current and past discussions

If you don't have a specific issue in mind and just want to browse the latest messages, click a discussion group in the Browse discussions list.

Picture of the Browse discussions list on the Windows Vista discussion groups webpage
Click a discussion group to browse recent messages in that group

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Reading discussion topics

Whether you've searched for a term or clicked a group directly, you'll now see a list of discussion topics, or threads. To view a thread, click a thread title (indicated by bold type) or the plus sign Picture of a plus sign ‍. The thread expands to show its individual messages, or posts, and the contents of the first post appear in the message pane on the right side of the screen.

Picture of posts in the thread pane and a message in the message pane
Click a post in the thread pane (left) to view the post in the message pane (right)

To read replies to the original post, click any post that appears indented beneath the original message. Note that it can be tedious to read a long thread by clicking one post at a time. Instead, double-click any post to view the entire thread in its own window.

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Still no answer? Post your question

If you've searched previous discussions and come up empty-handed, try posting your own question to the community. To do that, you'll need to sign in with a Windows Live ID.

To sign in with a Windows Live ID

Go to the Windows Vista discussion groups webpage, and then click the Sign In button near the upper-right corner of the page.

Do one of the following:

•	If you already have a Windows Live ID, type your e‑mail address and password for the account in the Sign in to Microsoft box, and then click Sign In. (If you have an MSN Hotmail, MSN Messenger, or Microsoft Passport account, it's already a Windows Live ID.)
•	If you need to create a Windows Live ID, click Sign up now in the Don't have a Windows Live ID? box, and then follow the instructions on the page.

Once you've signed in, you're ready to post and reply to questions. To protect your privacy, your Windows Live ID e‑mail address will not appear with your post by default.

To post a new question

1.	On the Windows Vista discussion groups webpage, under Browse discussions, click the discussion group you want to post your question in.
2.	At the top of the thread pane, click New, and then click Question. (If Internet Explorer indicates a pop-up was blocked, click the Information bar, click Always Allow Pop-ups from This Site, and then click Yes.)
3.	Follow the instructions on the page for entering a subject, message, and display name. If this is your first post, read and accept the Terms of Use.
4.	To be notified by e‑mail when someone replies to your question, select the Notify me of replies check box. If this is your first post, you'll be asked to provide a notification e‑mail address after you submit the post.
5.	Click Post to submit your post. It might take a few minutes for it to appear in the discussion group.

Picture of the New Question form to post a question to a discussion group
Posting a question to a discussion group

To reply to a question

1.	In the thread pane, click the post you want to reply to.
2.	At the top of the thread pane, click Reply. (If Internet Explorer indicates a pop-up was blocked, click the Information bar, click Always Allow Pop-ups from This Site, and then click Yes.)
3.	Follow the instructions on the page for entering a subject, message, and display name. If this is your first post, read and accept the Terms of Use.
4.	To be notified by e‑mail when someone replies to your post, select the Notify me of replies check box. If this is your first post, you'll be asked to provide a notification e‑mail address after you submit the post.
5.	Click Post to submit your post. It might take a few minutes for it to appear in the discussion group.

You can change your display name, display e‑mail address, notification e‑mail address, signature, and other information by editing your profile.

To edit your profile

1.	Click the Edit my Profile button above the message pane.
2.	Enter the information you want.
3.	To preview what others will see when they click your display name, click Preview at the bottom of the My Profile page.
4.	To save the changes to your profile information, click Save.
5.	Click Close Profile.

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Explore the Windows Vista Community

The Windows Vista discussion groups hosted by Microsoft are just one destination in a constellation of newsgroups and forums about Windows and Windows-related technologies. If you don't find what you need in the Microsoft groups, there are many excellent third-party sites to try, some tailored to specific topics such as Windows Media Center, Tablet PCs, and gaming. You can find them on the list of featured and related communities on the Windows Vista Community website.

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NoteThis article describes how to use Windows Vista discussion groups with a web browser. If you prefer, you can read and post to discussion groups using Windows Mail or other software. For more information, see Read newsgroup messages.