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Dave and Rob's Top 5 Tips for Free Microsoft Support and Learning Resources (and the Best of the Rest!)

  • Artigo

Dave and Rob’s Top 5 Tips for Free Microsoft Support and Learning Resources

 

1.

MSDN Forums – https://forums.msdn.com

Looking for answers to your toughest technical questions? The MSDN forums are regularly visited by members of the product teams, MVPs, influencers, and experts. Broken out by technology and then by detailed subject. Solve technical problems, or supply the answers yourself.

 

2.

Microsoft Patterns & Practices - https://msdn.microsoft.com/practices/

A wealth of resources from the Patterns and Practices group, including books, articles, application blocks, etc. This portal's contents are relevant to architects, senior developers, and IT professionals, who are sure to find the quality of writing exceptional.

 

3.

MSDN Documentation Wiki - https://msdnwiki.microsoft.com/

The thorough MSDN Documentation eats a worthwhile gig of disk, but it doesn’t incorporate community feedback and learning. Until now. Check out this wiki, where you can contribute your own tips, samples, gotchas and ideas to the MSDN Documentation.

 

4.

MSDN Virtual Labs - https://msdn.microsoft.com/virtuallabs/

What could be better than a series of guided hands-on labs that let you explore new technologies in 90 minutes or less? Not having to install them on your own PC! These require IE6 or IE7, and provide a convenient way for learning, training and evaluating. It’s like having a TechEd hands-on lab session in the comfort of your home or office.

 

5a.

CodePlex – https://www.codeplex.com

Think "Team Foundation Server in the sky." Codeplex is an online source repository that hosts a number of community projects, including the ASP.NET “Atlas” Control Toolkit, and IronPython, a .NET implementation of Python which just reached v1.0.

 

5b.

No-Charge Security Support Line (Ireland) - 1 850 940940

Real-time, no-charge phone support for virus- and security-related support. It is available Monday through Friday from 8am through 6pm.

 

 

"Best of the Rest"

 

Developer and IT Pro Technical Support

 

Microsoft Knowledge DB - https://support.microsoft.com/search/

Search more than 250,000 constantly-updated technical articles from Microsoft support professionals. Contains formal information on all known problems and bugs.

 

DLL Help - https://support.microsoft.com/dllhelp/

Use DLL Help to identify which software installed a specific version of a DLL.

 

MSDN Connect - https://connect.microsoft.com/

Content, feedback, and downloads about particular developer technologies. Create a query to search the Microsoft Knowledge Base for specific bug, fix or article.

 

Microsoft Public News Groups - https://msdn.microsoft.com/newsgroups/

Interact with the Microsoft developer community. A great way to solve technical problems or to supply answers yourself, to learn more about a specific product or technology, or to keep up with the latest buzz in the developer community. (See also the MSDN Forums.)

 

 

Architecture

 

The Architecture Journal - https://www.architecturejournal.net/

Searchable, online version of the monthly periodical featuring articles of interest to software architects.

 

 

Keeping up to Date

 

Channel 9 – https://channel9.msdn.com

Shows, media, wikis and forums all add up to a candid discussion forum featuring interviews with Microsoft developers about their products.

 

Download and Code Center - https://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/

A resource for developer codes and samples. Search by product, category and keywords for the latest developer-related tools, add-ons, service packs, patches, drivers, and beta and preview releases.

 

MSDN Magazine - https://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/

The Microsoft journal for developers, available in print form, and here online.

 

MSDN Chats - https://msdn.microsoft.com/chats/

Interact with Microsoft technology experts in live technical chat sessions.

 

MSDN Flash - https://www.microsoft.com/ireland/msdn/

Sign up for the twice-monthly email for developers, which is packed full of the latest developments.

 

MSDN Shows and WebCasts - https://msdn.microsoft.com/showsandwebcasts

A wide variety of streaming media content, from the informal, shaky-cam style of "MSDN TV," through the variety talk show style of "The .NET Show," or the straightforward, how-to technical approach of "MSDN Webcasts," MSDN has what you need.

 

 

Technologies

 

MSDN Developer Centers - https://msdn.microsoft.com/developercenters/

Integrated content and resources about specific products and technologies. Code samples, community sites, technical articles and documentation, upcoming events, and much more. Each Developer Center gives you a clear road map to understanding and working with your technology of choice.

 

Windows Vista Developer Center - https://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/

Reference, download, support and community hub for Windows Vista developers.

 

.Net Framework 3.0 Community Web Site - https://www.netfx3.com/

Community nexus and source of information & downloads for .NET 3.0 technologies.

 

ASP.NET “Atlas” Web Site - https://atlas.asp.net/Default.aspx?tabid=47

A free framework for building richer web applications with AJAX-enabled user interfaces.

 

 

...What did we miss?

Comments

  • Anonymous
    September 24, 2006
    Clare asked Dave and me to reveal some of the hidden gems that are available from Microsoft for support...