Microsoft Community

Getting Started with Microsoft Community

To get help with Microsoft products, just ask! Microsoft Community is a great place for users to come together to solve problems and share ideas.

This getting started guide will help you quickly get up to speed on how to find answers, ask questions, and share your expertise.

Join the community using your Microsoft account

You can explore the community and search for solutions without joining. But if you want to post or receive email notifications, you'll need to sign up.
1. Click Sign in at the top of any Microsoft Community page.
2. If you already have an Outlook.com account, a Hotmail account, a Messenger account, or an Xbox Live account, you already have a Microsoft account. Just sign in with your account name and password.
3. If you do not already have a Microsoft account, click Sign up now and follow the instructions.
4. In the Create Profile window, type a Microsoft Community display name and email address.
5. If you agree, click I accept the Answers Code of Conduct, and then click Sign Up. You are now a member of the Microsoft Community!
6. Tip: Click your display name at the top of any Microsoft Community page to access your content and personalize your profile. Visit the FAQ to learn more about personalizing your profile.

Search the community

1. Search first. There's a good chance that someone has already asked a question, started a discussion, or written a wiki article on the topic you have in mind. In the search box, select Search the Community.
2. Type your question or a keyword (such as an error number), or topic.
3. Click the Search icon , and then look through the results for your solution.
4. Tip: If you find the same question that you wanted to ask, click Me Too. This will save the thread in your profile and notify you via email when the question receives new replies. Visit the FAQ to learn more about searching the community.

Ask a new question or start a new discussion

If you searched and did not find your answer or topic, post your own question or discussion. Keep in mind that some questions are more complex than others and may take longer to receive a reply.
1. Select Ask the Community in the Search box, or click Create at the bottom of the search results page.
2. Type your question.
3. Click the search icon . A short list of related content is listed followed by a box to Create a new question or start a discussion.
4. Under Title, accept your question or topic as the title or type a new one.
5. Under Details, type your question or topic in full. If you are asking a question, include the following information:
  - The exact error message
  - Your program and version
  - Your operating system and version
  - Your browser and version
  - Any software or hardware that you recently installed or removed
  - Any recent changes that were made to the system
  - The things that you have already tried to do to troubleshoot the problem
6. Select the Category, Version, and Topic.
7. Select the Post as question or Post as discussion radio button as appropriate.
8. Click Submit.
9. Tip: The Microsoft Community forums are public. Do not post private information such as your email address or phone number unless specifically requested to do so in a Private Message from a Forum Moderator. Private Messages are only visible to you and to Forum Moderators. Visit the FAQ to learn more about Forum Moderators and other forum roles.

Promote good content

We'll send you an email notification when the community replies to your post. If you asked a question and the reply solves your problem, open the thread and mark the response as the answer.
1. Click the thread link in the notification email or find the thread in your profile.
2. Click the Mark as Answer option.
3. Tip: To view all of the posts that you made or are following, click your display name at the top of any Microsoft Community page when you are signed in. Visit the FAQ to learn more about managing your questions.

Post a reply

Give back to the community by sharing your knowledge and answering another member's post.
1. Click Reply.
2. Type your ideas or solutions.
3. Click Submit.
4. Tip: Once you start posting replies, you'll start building a reputation in the community. Badges on your profile recognize your contributions and expertise. Visit the FAQ to learn more about building your reputation.

Keep the community friendly

We enjoy being in the community and we hope you do too. When you're posting, be nice and have fun. If you see any posts that violate the Code of Conduct or Terms of Use, let us know by clicking Report abuse, so abuse moderators can clean it up. Now, go, sign up! See you online!