INFO: A guide to the Windows newsgroups [FAQ No responses tomh@metrics.com Tom Haapanen at Software Metrics Inc. Archive-name: ms-windows/newsgrp.guide Last-modified: 1995-09-12 This is a regularly scheduled weekly posting, which explains the purpose of the usenet newsgroups for Microsoft Windows. Please follow these guidelines when posting your articles, and make life easier for all of us. NOTE: Binary files (whether programs, bitmaps or others) are not to be posted to any of the groups listed below, with the exception of comp.binaries.ms-windows. These are the current Windows newsgroups: GENERAL -- WINDOWS 95 AND WINDOWS 3.x: comp.os.ms-windows.advocacy Comparisons and arguments about Windows 3.x and 95 vs other operating systems comp.os.ms-windows.announce MODERATED. Announcements and news about Windows applications, drivers, events etc. comp.os.ms-windows.pre-release Discussion about unreleased and future versions of Windows comp.os.ms-windows.setup Questions and problems with setting up and configuring Windows comp.os.ms-windows.video Video display cards, drivers and monitors for use with Windows comp.os.ms-windows.misc All other Windows discussions except advocacy with other operating systems. GENERAL -- WINDOWS 95-SPECIFIC: comp.os.ms-windows.win95.setup Questions and problems with upgrading to, setting up and configuring Windows 95. comp.os.ms-windows.win95.misc All other Windows 95 discussions, except those topics (such as apps, networking, programming etc) that are covered by other specific newsgroups. GENERAL -- WINDOWS NT-SPECIFIC: comp.os.ms-windows.nt.admin.networks Windows NT network administration, management and security issues comp.os.ms-windows.nt.admin.misc Windows NT administration issues, except for networking comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy Comparisons and arguments about Windows NT vs other operating systems comp.os.ms-windows.nt.announce MODERATED. Announcements and news about Windows NT applications, drivers, events etc. comp.os.ms-windows.nt.pre-release Discussion about unreleased and future versions of Windows NT comp.os.ms-windows.nt.setup.hardware Setting up and configuring hardware for Windows NT comp.os.ms-windows.nt.setup.misc Setting up and configuring Windows NT, except hardware issues comp.os.ms-windows.nt.misc All other Windows NT-specific discussions except programming and advocacy APPLICATION SOFTWARE -- WINDOWS 3.x, 95 AND NT: comp.os.ms-windows.apps.comm Communications and fax applications comp.os.ms-windows.apps.financial Financial applications comp.os.ms-windows.apps.utilities Utilities, desktops and accessories comp.os.ms-windows.apps.word-proc Word processing and desktop publishing comp.os.ms-windows.apps.misc Miscellaneous Windows 3.x, 95 & NT applications WINSOCK-BASED TCP/IP APPLICATION SOFTWARE -- WINDOWS 3.x, 95 AND NT: comp.os.ms-windows.apps.winsock.mail Winsock-based electronic mail applications and utilities comp.os.ms-windows.apps.winsock.news Winsock-based Usenet news readers and servers comp.os.ms-windows.apps.winsock.misc Winsock-based applications other than news and email SOFTWARE -- WINDOWS NT-SPECIFIC: comp.os.ms-windows.nt.software.backoffice Microsoft BackOffice (SMS, SQL Server, Exchange, SNA Server) comp.os.ms-windows.nt.software.compatability Compatability issues with Win16 and MS-DOS applications comp.os.ms-windows.nt.software.services System services software for Windows NT NETWORKING -- WINDOWS 3.x, 95 AND NT: comp.os.ms-windows.networking.ras Use of Remote Access Services (RAS) dial-up networking comp.os.ms-windows.networking.tcp-ip TCP/IP-based networking for Windows, includign NFS and apps comp.os.ms-windows.networking.windows Windows' native networking: WFWG, NT, NTAS and LAN Manager comp.os.ms-windows.networking.misc All other networks, such as Netware, Banyan Vines and LANtastic PROGRAMMING AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT -- TECHNIQUES: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.controls Using controls, custom controls, VBXs, OCXs and dialogs comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.graphics Graphics and GDI programming in Windows comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.memory Memory and process management, threads and IPC in Windows comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.multimedia Development of multimedia and video applications comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.networks Network-specific application development for Windows comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.ole Creating OLE, COM and DDE-based applications comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32 Developing for the Win32 API (including NT and Win32s) comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.winhelp Developing WinHelp and Multimedia Viewer files and applications comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.misc All other Windows programming and development discussions PROGRAMMING AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT -- DEVELOPMENT TOOLS: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.tools.mfc Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) class library-specific discussion comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.tools.owl ObjectWindows Library (OWL) class library-specific discussion comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.tools.winsock Developing Winsock-based TCP/IP applications comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.tools.misc Windows development tools, class libraries and compilers except for OWL and MFC PROGRAMMING AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT -- DEVICE DRIVERS: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.nt.kernel-mode Development of Windows NT kernel-mode drivers comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.vxd Development of VxDs and Windows 3.x and 95 device drivers VISUAL BASIC GROUPS: comp.lang.basic.visual.database Database access and development comp.lang.basic.visual.3rdparty Third-party tools comp.lang.basic.visual.announce MODERATED. Announcements only comp.lang.basic.visual.misc Other Visual Basic discussions OTHER RELATED GROUPS: comp.apps.spreadsheets Spreadsheets and related applications, including Excel, Quattro and 1-2-3. comp.databases.ms-access Using and programming Microsoft's Access database package comp.os.msdos.mail-news Administering mail and news software on Windows and MS-DOS. comp.binaries.ms-windows MODERATED. Shareware, freeware, drivers and other binary files. comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc Discussions about the use of TCP/IP on PC systems bit.listserv.win3-l This newsgroup is a copy of the BITNET WIN3-L mailing list for all Windows discussions OBSOLETE GROUPS: (Superseded by comp.os.ms-windows.* Winsock groups) alt.winsock Winsock applications and stacks (TCP/IP) alt.winsock.programmer Winsock development (TCP/IP) NON-WINDOWS NEWSGROUPS: (Do not use for Windows-specific topics!) comp.lang.visual Visual programming languages, *not* Visual Basic or C++ comp.lang.pascal.* The language itself; not appropriate for Windows topics comp.lang.c The language itself; not appropriate for Windows topics comp.lang.c++ The language itself; not appropriate for Windows topics comp.windows.news For the NeWS windowing system comp.windows.misc For other windowing systems, not Microsoft Windows GENERAL GUIDELINES: Please try to post to the appropriate newsgroup, and try to avoid crossposting whenever possible. This makes it easier for everyone to find the information they are looking for without wading through irrelevant articles. Second, please do not get involved in arguments about Windows vs. OS/2 vs. Macintosh vs. NeXTSTEP *except* in the .advocacy groups. Don't post any comparison or argument, and if someone else posts one -- don't post a followup! Ignore this flamebait, and help increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the newsgroups. SUBSCRIBING AND UNSUBSCRIBING: To subscribe to a Usenet newsgroup, you can use the "gnewsgroupname" command at the newsgroup level in rn, trn and strn. To unsubscribe, hit "u" while in that newsgroup, if you are using rn, trn or strn. To subscribe to a LISTSERV mailing list, send a mail message to the LISTSERV at the mailing list address (ie LISTSERV@uicvm.bitnet for the WINHLP-L@uicvm.bitnet list) containing just the text "SUBSCRIBE listname" in the body. To unsubscribe, send mail to that same LISTSERV with the body "UNSUBSCRIBE listname" or "SIGNOFF listname". WINDOWS FAQS: The Windows FAQs are available by anonymous ftp from ftp.metrics.com and other sites; see the companion posting "How to get ..." posted simulta- neously with this one for further details. MICROSOFT FTP SITE: Microsoft also maintains an ftp site (ftp.microsoft.com) with drivers, patches and utilities on it for all of Microsoft's operating systems, including Windows, Windows for Workgroups and Windows NT. MORE INFORMATION: If you have questions about these guidelines, you can email to Tom Haapanen (maintainer of the FAQ, tomh@metrics.com) or Sean Graham (moderator of the .announce groups, sgraham@shiloh.nimh.nih.gov). -- [ /tom haapanen -- tomh@metrics.com -- software metrics inc -- waterloo, ont ] [ "clothes make the man. naked people ] [ have little or no influence on society. -- samuel langhorne clemens ] -- Last response --