TechNet Managed Newsgroups and Forums

TechNet managed newsgroups are available in English to TechNet Plus and TechNet Direct subscribers to receive free technical support on select Microsoft technologies as well as to share ideas with other subscribers.

• Step 1: Create Your Posting Alias - Microsoft registers your posting alias with your Passport account. This ensures that your questions are answered promptly and protects you from unsolicited email; the posting alias is not an actual e-mail address. To create your posting alias, click the Configure link on the Subscription Management portal.
• Step 2: Choose and configure your Newsgroup Client - You can use any newsreader to access Microsoft newsgroups.
  Configure your NNTP Newsreader such as Outlook Express or the Web News, the web based news reader.
• Step 3: Post your question - After you have created your posting alias and configured your newsgroup client, you can post questions using the Web News or your NNTP client to more than 100 TechNet Managed Newsgroups.

To start using the Managed Newsgroup service, choose an available newsgroup from the list of newsgroups below. You can select with your Web browser or with a Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP)-based newsreader such as Microsoft Outlook Express. To receive priority support in the designated Forums, sign in to the Forums site with the LiveID you use to access your Subscription benefits, and post your question.

For more information on configuring and reading newsgroups using a newsreader, see Welcome to the TechNet Managed Newsgroups. Once you have configured your NNTP newsreader, you can access the support newsgroups listed below on this page via your NNTP newsreader client.

Microsoft is transitioning priority support for Subscribers from Managed Newsgroups to Forums, in phases. The list below reflects the Newsgroups and Forums where Subscribers can receive priority support. As Forums are brought online for priority support, corresponding Newsgroups will no longer be eligible for managed/priority support.

If you cannot find an appropriate newsgroup in the list below, please contact us to let us know of other IT Professional-focused newsgroups you'd like to see added to the list of Managed Newsgroups.