3. Getting Help

If you’re already a Windows user, don’t yield to the temptation to skip this chapter because you’ve given up on Microsoft’s anemic help system. A change of heart—driven by what Microsoft spends on telephone support—has spawned XP’s Help and Support Center, a hybrid web portal and on-disk help system. With it you use web-style links and searches to access:

• Standard documentation

• Animated tutorials

• Troubleshooting wizards

• Diagnostic and repair utilities

• Up-to-date configuration information about your system’s hardware, software, and services

• Knowledge Base articles at Microsoft’s support site and Windows newsgroups (if you’re connected to the internet)