Microsoft Answer for the end-user

Up until now the only avenue for your average Vista user for support was to trawl the MSDN Forums, Technet Forums and the Support site for some elusive piece of information that is buried among all that technical BS that we teckies like to call help.

All that has now changed with the addition of the forum!

This will be a no nonsense, non technical forum for real users to get real answers. The forum will follow the format that he user sees in the control panel of Vista so here are the topics:

Windows Vista Forums

Tap into the expertise and enthusiasm of Windows Vista customers and Microsoft support professionals.

.gif)](http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en/vistawu/threads/)

Automatically keep software up-to-date

.gif)](http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistahardware/threads/#filter:answered)

Add hardware, update drivers

.gif)](http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistanetworking/threads/#filter:answered)

Connect to a network

.gif)](http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistasecurity/threads/#filter:answered)

Adjust settings, manage user accounts

.gif)](http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistaperformance/threads/#filter:answered)

Run Windows Vista better, faster

.gif)](http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistainstall/threads/#filter:answered)

Troubleshoot Windows Vista installation

.gif)](http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistamedia/threads/#filter:answered)

Work with music, pictures, video

.gif)](http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistaprograms/threads/#filter:answered)

Internet Explorer, Windows Mail & others

.gif)](http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistagaming/threads/#filter:answered)

Install, troubleshoot, set parental controls

.gif)](http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistaappearance/threads/#filter:answered)

Add gadgets, adjust screen resolution

Now, for those Blue badge holders and us MVP’s that have been asked to moderate there are strict rules around making sure that both the Questions and the Answers are non threatening and non technical.

These forums are specifically targeted at Vista, but if they are successful, there may be more forums added in the future. Maybe for things like Sharepoint and Office, and it may include many other products (deliberately vague).

Lets get …but remember, no techno-babble!

This article is part of the GWB Archives. Original Author: Martin Hinshelwood

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