INFO: A guide to the Windows newsgroups [FAQ]
Tom Haapanen
Last-modified: 1995-10-23
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.networking 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 OSs
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.compatibility Compatibility 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
MAILING LISTS:
MFC-L mailing list
The mfc-l mailing list is a moderated mailing list intended for
intermediate and advanced MFC programmers. People may subscribe
to this list by sending a note to list...@netcom.com with the line
subscribe mfc-l
in the body.
OWL-LIST mailing list
The owl-list mailing list is a moderated mailing list intended for
intermediate and advanced OWL programmers. People may subscribe
to this list by sending a note to majo...@netlab.cs.rpi.edu with
the line
subscribe owl-list <address>
in the body.
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.
If you're using a Windows-based newsreader, please consult the
documentation for instructions on subscribing and unsubscribing.
To subscribe to a LISTSERV mailing list, send a mail message to the
LISTSERV at the mailing list address (ie LIST...@uicvm.bitnet for the
WINH...@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, to...@metrics.com) or Sean Graham
(moderator of the .announce groups, sgr...@shiloh.nimh.nih.gov).
--
[ /tom haapanen -- to...@metrics.com -- software metrics inc -- waterloo, ont ]
[ "i live in the fear of not being misunderstood" -- oscar wilde ]