Microsoft Community Frequently Asked Questions

Joining the Community

How do I join Microsoft Community?

You can explore the community and search for solutions without joining. If you want to post or receive email notifications, you'll need to sign up.

1. Click Sign in at the top of any Microsoft Community page. You will be taken to the Sign in page.
2. Select how you would like to sign into the community.
   

   • Sign in with a Microsoft account: If you already have an Outlook.com account, a Hotmail account, a Messenger account, or an Xbox Live account, you already have a Microsoft account. Just sign in with your account name and password.

     If you do not already have a Microsoft account, click Sign up now. You will be taken to the Create an account page.

   • Sign in with an Office 365 account: If you have an Office 365 account provided by your work or school, you may select this option. Just sign in with your account name and password.

3. In the Create Profile window, type a community display name.
4. If you agree, click I accept the Code of Conduct, and then click Finish. You are now a member of the community!

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Searching the Community

How do I find information on Microsoft Community?

Search first. There's a good chance that someone has already written about the topic you have in mind.

1. In the search box, type your question, keyword, or topic.

   

2. Click the search button , and then look through the results for your solution.

back to topCan I refine my search?

Absolutely. There are a number of ways to narrow your search:

• At the top of the screen, click Categories, and then select a product or technology to search in that category.
• Use the drop-down menu on the Search button to refine your search by product or category.

  

• Go to any category list page and select a topic or sub-topic in the dropdowns, and then click Apply. You'll be searching with those filters. If you don't find what you need, you can remove the filters in the search results window to widen your search.

• You can also select a content type: Questions, Discussions, or Forum Articles.

  

back to topSomeone posted my question, but it hasn't been answered yet.

If you find the same question you wanted to ask in the forum, but it hasn't been answered yet, click the I have the same question button. That way you'll be notified via email when your question has been answered.

Note: You can click I have the same question even if the question is answered, to get updates on that thread.

back to topThere are a lot of posts replying to my question. How do I know which is the best?

Posts that contain an answer to the question will be marked as an answer by the original poster or a moderator and will be denoted by A: or Answer: depending on the language.

You can also look for posts with a high number of Did this resolve your issue? votes, even if they haven't been marked as answers yet.

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Asking a Question or Starting a Discussion

How do I create a question or discussion post?

If you've searched the community and you can't find a question or topic that is the same or similar to yours, it's time to post your own.

1. Click the Participate menu and then click Ask a Question or Start a Discussion.

2. Type in any details about your question or discussion topic that you think would be useful. Include details like what you are trying to do, what you have already tried, and your computer type if you are asking a question.

   

3. From the Category dropdown list, select the product or service you're asking about. This may generate other dropdowns. Use these to make your post as specific as you can.
4. Select the Post a question or Post a discussion radio button as appropriate.
5. Select "Notify me when someone replies to this post," in order to get an email notification when others respond to your question or discussion.
6. Click Submit. Your question or discussion has been posted.

Note: You must be signed in to post a question or a discussion.

back to topWhat is the difference between a question post and a discussion post?

Question posts are used to get an answer or solution to a specific question or issue.

Discussion posts are used to share opinions, discuss tips and tricks, and chat about Microsoft technologies.

Both types of posts have the same formatting and similar options. The most noticeable exception is that no answer-marking is needed or available on discussion posts.

back to topHow can I edit a question or discussion I've posted?

1. Go to your post.
2. Click the ellipsis and then click the Edit option and make your changes.
3. Click Submit.

back to topCan I delete a question or discussion I've posted?

Yes, if no one has replied to it.

1. Go to your post.
2. Click the ellipsis and then click the Edit option. The "Edit" screen opens.
3. Click the Delete button. The "Are you sure you want to delete your post?" window opens.
4. Click OK.

If other users have replied to your post, you can't delete the post unless the other users delete all their replies first.

back to topNo one replied to my question or discussion. Should I post it again?

No. Posting the same question or discussion multiple times creates distraction. Just wait, someone will reply, and you'll be notified when it happens.

back to topCan I get notified when someone responds to a question or discussion?

Yes. Click the ellipsis and then click Subscribe. If you didn't provide an email address at sign-in, you'll have the opportunity to provide one when you click Subscribe.

back to topHow do I stop getting notified when someone responds to a question or discussion?

Go to the original post. Click the ellipsis and then click Unsubscribe.

back to topI had a question and somebody else posted the answer. How do I mark it as Answered?

If you posted the original question, you can mark the question as answered yourself. Just click Yes to Did this resolve your issue? on the response.

If you didn't post the original question, you can still mark Yes to Did this resolve your issue? to upvote the post.

back to topI had a question and marked a response as "Answered," but then I found out it was wrong. What should I do?

Go to the response. Click the ellipsis and then click Unmark as answer.

back to topI had a question and I posted the right answer. Can I mark it as Answered?

No one can mark their own post as an answer. Only the person who posted the original question (if it is someone else) or a moderator can mark as post as Answered.

back to topI found a great discussion, how do mark it?

You can follow the discussion and let others know it’s worthwhile by clicking I recommend this discussion button.

If you like a specific reply in a discussion, click Upvote.

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Contributing to the Community

How do I post a reply?

1. Click the Reply option.
2. Type in your reply.

   

3. Select "Notify me when someone replies to this post," to get an email notification when others respond to your reply.
4. Click the Submit button.

Note: You must be signed in to post a reply.

back to topWhat does "Reply with quote" mean?

When you check this box, your reply will be posted with the content of the post you are replying to

back to topHow can I edit a response I've posted?

1. Go to your response.
2. Click the ellipsis and then click the Edit option and make your changes.
3. Click Submit when you are done.

back to topHow can I delete a response I've posted?

1. Go to your response, click the ellipsis and then click the Edit option. The "Edit" window opens.
2. Click the Delete button. The "Are you sure you want to delete your post?" window opens.
3. Click OK.

back to topAre there guidelines about what I can say in the community?

Yes. Please read our Code of Conduct for using the community.

back to topHow do I report abuse?

If someone has posted content that is abusive, offensive, threatening, or otherwise violates the Microsoft Community Code of Conduct, you can report it.

1. Click the ellipsis and then click the Report abuse link.
2. Complete all required information.
3. Click Submit.

A Microsoft representative will review your report and decide how to proceed.

Note: You must be signed in to report abuse.

back to topI answer a lot of threads. Are there any tools to help me find the topics I’m interested in?

Yes. Use the advanced thread list filters to find threads that were posted within a defined timeframe. These filters appear in addition to other forum filters. You can use sorting options as well.

back to topI was notified that I have a private message, what does that mean?

Only a Microsoft moderator can start a private message. If you receive a private message, it means that the moderator needs to address your question or issue in private or requires information that may be more personal (such as an email address or account details). Only you and Microsoft moderators can see the contents of the private message - other community members cannot see it.

• Open the private message:
• From an email notification, click the link provided.
• From a thread, click the Private Message icon in the Question Info section.

  

• From anywhere else on the community, click on your profile name in the top right corner of the screen. Click the ellipsis and click View Private Messages

  

• If the moderator has asked for a response to the private message, type your response in the send new message box.
• Click Reply.

  

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Participating in Forum Articles

Can I post a reply to a forum article?

Yes, forum articles accept comments so that you can share your thoughts on the article.

• Click Comment.
• Type your comments.
• Click Submit.

Can I get notified when someone comments?

Yes. Click the ellipsis and then click Subscribe. If you didn't provide an email address at sign-in, you'll have the opportunity to provide one when you click Subscribe.

How do I recommend a forum article that really helped me?

You can follow the article and let others know it’s worthwhile by clicking Upvote.

Note: You must be signed in to participate.

Your Profile

How do I find my profile?

Click your screen name anywhere it appears in the community (for example, in one of your posts or questions, or at the top of any page) to get to your profile page.

back to topWhat's on my profile?Profile page

The personal profile information that you choose to share will appear to all users on the Profile tab.

• Your username
• Your picture (if you decide to upload one)
• Your title, if you have one (for example, Volunteer Moderator)
• Your introduction (if you decide to write one for your profile)
• Bonus links (if you are eligible)
• Your accomplishments and awards

Statistics section

The totals displayed on your Statistics section represent the actual number of actions you performed since you joined the community.

• Thread statistics. This is summary of thread activity in Question and Answer threads and Discussion threads combined.

Note: Totals do not reflect any posts that were deleted by you or by a moderator.

Activity section

All the threads and forum articles that you participated in, voted for, or are subscribed to appear on your Activity section.

• Click Show filters to filter by types of content or by Categories.

Edit profile

From the Edit profile view, you can:

• Change your profile picture
• Change your display name
• Write or edit your bio
• Add a signature that will be displayed with your posts
• Update your email address
• Choose to get email notifications or not
• Select advanced user options

back to topHow do I edit my profile?

Click the Edit profile button on your profile page. Change your publicly facing profile information, subscribe to email notifications. When you've finished editing your profile, click Save.

back to topHow do I delete my profile?

You can delete your profile from this community, but keep in mind that it will also be deleted on all communities that use this profile. The communities that use this profile are Microsoft Community and Microsoft Training, Certification, and Program Support Community.

When you delete your profile, all of your posts, awards, votes, and subscriptions will be permanently disassociated from your profile. The profile name will become “A.User” and the profile details and signature line will be removed.

Note: Once a profile has been deleted, it cannot be restored.

• Click the Edit profile button on your profile page.
• Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Delete My Profile.
• Confirm that you want to delete your profile and click OK.

back to topDoes my profile picture have to be a picture of me?

No. You can use a picture that you own (for example, a picture of your cat or dog) or a picture in the public domain, like license-free clip-art or photographs.

Please read our Code of Conduct to make sure your profile picture is appropriate.

back to topHow do I get badges and weekly awards on my profile page?

They will appear automatically as they are earned. To learn about the badges you can earn, see Building your reputation, below.

back to topCan I see other people's profiles?

Yes. There are two ways to view another community member's profile.

• Browse to a profile page. Whenever a profile name appears as part of thread activity, forum article activity, or award recognition, you can click on it to open the profile page.
• Search for a profile page. Enter the exact profile name in the search box and select Search community member in the dropdown. Click the search icon. If an exact match is found, the profile page will appear.

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Building your Reputation

You can start earning badges with your very first answer and continue building your reputation every time you ask a question, post a reply, or vote for something helpful. All of your badges appear on your profile and help others understand your level of community involvement.

Accomplishments

These badges are awarded to community members who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to helping build a community of high-quality content in a safe and healthy environment.

This is an ongoing, dynamic process. Badges earned for accomplishments can be lost if your community activity no longer meets the badge criteria.

MCC: Content Creator badge

Each time one of your question and answer posts is marked as Helped by this reply or Answer, you get a vote toward your Content Creator badge. When you have a high enough percentage of posts marked, you'll get your badge.

Benefits of being a Content Creator:

• Your profile will be featured in the Most Helpful Contributors rotator
• You'll be awarded space for 5 additional links in your profile
• A Content Creator badge is added to your profile

back to top MCC: Content Curator badge

When you mark a question and answer post as Solved my issue, or, recommend or upvote a forum article or discussion post, you have started on the path to a Content Curator badge. If enough of the posts and articles (in any combination) that you have voted for end up as answers or as the most upvoted or recommended post and articles in that category, you'll get your badge.

Benefits of being a Content Curator:

• Your profile will be featured in the Most Helpful Contributors rotator
• You'll be awarded space for 5 additional links in your profile
• A Content Curator badge is added to your profile

back to top The Guardian badge

Every time you report legitimate abuse in the community, you get a vote toward your Guardian badge. When you have reported enough confirmed cases of abuse and accurately pointed out the type of abuse, you'll get your badge. Reporting content that is not actual abuse will not get you votes and will slow your progress toward earning this badge.

Benefits of being a Guardian:

• A Guardian badge will be added to your profile
• Content the Guardian reports as abusive is automatically hidden until moderated.

back to top The Publisher badge

Publishers are Forum Article Authors who have published numerous articles, many of which the community has identified as especially helpful.

back to top The Conversationalist badge

Conversationalists are community members who have consistently started and participated in discussion threads. Many of the discussion threads they’ve started are highly recommended by other members of the community.

back to topAwards

Every week we recognize the contributions of our community members with badges awarded for the best content or noteworthy participation in each category. These award badges are yours to keep and cannot be lost.

The First Answer badge

The first time one of your question and answer posts is marked as an Answer, a First Answer badge will appear in your profile.

back to top The Quickest Answer badge

This badge is awarded to the person who posts to a question and answer thread in the shortest amount time after a user asks a question and which is marked Answer either by the person who asked the question or by a moderator in the past week.

The Helpful Post of the Week badge

This badge is awarded to the person whose question and answer post gets the most Helped by this reply votes in each week (minimum 5 votes). Every week this badge will be awarded to a poster in each category.

back to top The Most Important Answer of the Week badge

This badge is awarded to the person whose question and answer post gets the most "I have the same question" votes in each week and is subsequently marked Answer. Every week this badge will be awarded to a poster in each category.

back to top The Most Answers for the Week badge

This badge is awarded to the person who creates the greatest number of question and answer posts marked Answer in each week.

back to top The Most Recommended Discussion badge

This badge is awarded to the person whose discussion thread gets the most “Recommended” votes in a given week. Every week this badge will be awarded in each category.

back to top The Completed Training badge

This badge is awarded to community members who have voluntarily completed training courses and learning opportunities provided through the community. This badge can be earned more than once for completing training in different categories.

back to top The Launch Expert badge

This badge is awarded to community members who have made significant contributions to the community during the launch of a Microsoft product or service. This badge can be earned more than once for contributions to multiple categories.

back to topRetired badges

We appreciate the contributions of community members from integrated Microsoft communities. The following badges were achieved on previous Microsoft communities and are no longer active. Microsoft Mobile Community

• Mobile Contributor

• Mobile Advisor

• Mobile Counsellor

• Mobile Sage

• Mobile Professor

• Mobile Visionary

• Mobile Guru

• Mobile Sensei

• Mobile Legend

• Mobile Contributor of the Month

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Office 365 for Business Community

• Bronze, Silver, and Gold Answerer

• Bronze, Silver, and Gold Curator

• Bronze, Silver, and Gold Discussion Starter

• Bronze, Silver, and Gold Helpful

• Community Contributor

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Who's Who in the Community

Volunteer Moderators

Volunteer Moderators are community leaders who share their experience by answering questions and keeping the community healthy and fun. Volunteer Moderators are members of the community, not Microsoft employees. People who make extraordinary contributions to the community may be asked to be Volunteer Moderators.

back to topMicrosoft Agents

Microsoft Agents are experts who are engaged by Microsoft to answer your questions.

back to topModerators

Moderators are experts engaged by Microsoft to mark the best answers, manage abuse, and maintain community health.

back to topIndependent Advisors

Independent Advisors are freelancers in the community who use their proven skills and experience to answer technical questions in defined categories.

back to topMicrosoft Employees

Microsoft Employees participating in the community have a badge that says Microsoft. These community members may work in the community, or they may be general employees who choose to participate.

back to topForum Owners

Forum Owners are Microsoft employees or Microsoft agents in charge of a particular category. Forum Owners are ultimately responsible for the health of the category.

back to topArticle Authors

Article Authors are community members who have demonstrated outstanding written and technical skills. Article Authors have the ability to create and manage their own forum articles in Microsoft Community.

back to topMVPs

Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) are technology experts who’ve demonstrated a commitment to helping others by sharing their passion, knowledge, and expertise with the community. Find out more about the Microsoft MVP program and the Xbox MVP program.

back to topWindows Insiders

Registered members of the Windows Insider Program are technology enthusiasts who have early access to releases in order to help improve the features and functionality of Windows. Learn what you can do as an Insider.

back to topXbox Ambassadors

Xbox Ambassadors are loyal and passionate fans of Xbox gaming who are recognized for helping create a positive, inclusive, and enjoyable experience for all gamers in the community.

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Supported Browsers

What browsers are supported?

To take advantage of all Microsoft Community features, use a supported browser.

• Microsoft Edge
• Internet Explorer
• Firefox
• Chrome

In general, Microsoft Community supports the current and previous major releases of each browser. This enables us to provide new features made possible by modern browser technologies.

back to topIs the community mobile-friendly?

Yes, the community uses responsive web design to scale the webpage to the right size for your device. To expand a menu in the tablet or mobile device experience, simply tap on it. Some advanced features might not be available in the tablet or mobile device experience due to space constraints.

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Microsoft Community Code of Conduct

This Code of Conduct applies to all users of the Microsoft Community.

The Community includes forums, blogs and other community features.

Member Qualifications

The community is designed for individuals 13 years of age or older.

As a participant of these forums you agree that you will uphold this Code of Conduct, and are responsible for all activities and content you post/upload.

In addition to upholding this Code of Conduct, you are responsible for adhering to all applicable local and national laws.

This is your community. Help us to keep it safe, friendly, fun and helpful.

back to topPlease do:

• Be polite and respectful in your posts, and in your replies to other people.
• Keep conversation threads on track. It's okay to disagree with another user's post, but don't take the thread off track to do so.
• Always address your comments to the person who asked the initial question, not the other posters.
• Cite the source of anything you post or upload, if it isn't your own original content. Be honest about your sources.
• Keep it clean. No profanity, obscenity, insulting or bigoted comments please. No name-calling.
• Search to see if a question you'd like answered has already been posted by somebody else. Posting the same question repeatedly and starting multiple threads on the same subject can be confusing.
• Report any kind of abuse you find in the community. You will find "Report abuse" links in every post and in every profile.

back to topPlease don't:

• Divert or change a thread for your own purposes; just start a new thread with the subject you want to discuss.
• Post questions that are the same or similar to questions you have already posted. When someone has an answer or a reply, that person will respond to you.
• Threaten, stalk, insult, victimize or intimidate anyone or any group of people for any reason; including on the basis of age, gender, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, race or religion.
• Incite other users to threaten, stalk, insult, victimize, or intimidate another person or group of people.
• Harass, insult, tease, or correct other users about the grammar used in their posts. Good or bad grammar isn't the point-the community is about getting questions answered and technical discussions.
• Post content depicting nudity of any sort, including full or partial photographic human nudity, or nudity in cartoons, fantasy art or manga.
• Post chain letters.
• Link to websites that require payment to access information.
• Post links to external sites that violate this Code of Conduct.

back to topThings that will get you immediately banned from this community:

• Posting content that is intended to harm or exploit minors in any way, including collecting the personally identifiable information (PII) of any minor (anyone under18 years old), including, but not limited to: name, email address, home address, phone number, or the name of the minor's school.
• Invading anyone's privacy by attempting to harvest, collect, store, or publish private or personally identifiable information, such as passwords, account information, credit card numbers, addresses, or other contact information without that person's knowledge and willing consent.
• Posting content or links to content that is illegal or violates any applicable local or national laws.
• Posting or spreading viruses, worms, malware, or other software intended to harm another user's computer.
• Impersonating a Microsoft employee, agent, manager, host, administrator, moderator, another user, MVP, or any other person through any means.
• Pirating Microsoft software or products, or offering pirated software or products for sale, including posting product keys.
• • Specifically violating Microsoft licensing or terms, such as posting content or links that will install a 3rd party kernel or evade security measures built into the software.
• Promoting or otherwise facilitating the purchase and sale of ammunition or firearms.
• Posting 'spam,' 'pyramid schemes,' 'affiliate marketing,' or unsolicited commercial advertisements of any kind, including advertising for money making schemes, discount cards, credit counseling, online surveys or online contests.
• Attempting to manipulate the forums, or other community features, including ranking and reputation systems, by violating any of the provisions of this Code of Conduct, colluding with others onvoting, or using multiple profiles.
• Offering to make international money transfers for amounts exceeding the asking price of an item, with intent to request a refund of any portion of the payment.
• Using any form of automated device or computer program that enables the submission of postings without the express written consent of Microsoft Corporation.

back to topCommunity User Cautions

• Be very cautious about accepting direct help from another user. If that user suggest he use Remote Assistance to help you, be aware that he will have access to your computer, and that your computer could be hacked.
• Beware of scammers posting fake support numbers in the Microsoft Community forum. Microsoft representatives have Microsoft agent or Microsoft employee affiliation displayed next to their names.
• If you volunteer to help another user through Remote Access, be very careful not to harm their computer in any way, or to access information that is not openly made available to you. Abuse of Remote Access will not be tolerated and will result in your being banned from the community.
• Please be careful with your personal information. If you post your email address in a post, it may be used for any purpose by the general public, as this is a public community.
• Don't post information that could be used by others to steal your identity, such as your street address, your phone number, your social security number, or your credit card number.

back to topTermination and Cancellation

Microsoft reserves the right, at its sole discretion, and without any obligation to do so, to review and remove user-created services and content at will and without notice, and delete content and accounts. Microsoft reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to permanently ban participants or terminate access to the community.

back to topRights and Responsibilities

• We encourage you to not share information that others could use to harm you. We encourage parents to be aware of and help exercise control over content posted by and activities of their children to keep them safe online.
• Microsoft is not responsible for the content of any user-created posting, listing or message. The decision to view content or engage with others is yours. We advise you to use your judgment.
• You are responsible for protecting your computer against interference, spyware or viruses that may be encountered. We recommend you install a virus protection program on your computer and keep it up to date.
• You may use the Report abuse link to report violations of this Code of Conduct.
• Microsoft reserves the right to amend or change the Code of Conduct or any service at any time without notice. We encourage you to periodically review these guidelines to ensure you are in compliance.
• Some information you provide or upload to the service may be stored outside of the country/region in which you reside.
• All activity on the service is also governed by the Microsoft Terms of Use and the Microsoft Privacy Policy.
• You acknowledge that you are a volunteer participant in the Microsoft Community and that you may discontinue your participation at any time. Nothing related to your participation will be construed as creating an employer-employee relationship, a partnership, joint venture, association, or agency relationship, or as a limitation upon Microsoft's right to terminate your access as foreseen above, or upon Microsoft's discretion, to terminate your access as provided herein. You assume all risk for your use.
• You understand that posting content or submitting material is voluntary, and you are under no obligation whatsoever to provide any submissions or contributions. You are solely responsible for your dealings with any third party that relates to your use of the community, or any information or materials you obtain from a third party.
• No Compensation. Microsoft shall not be obligated to provide, and you have no expectation of receiving, any compensation in any form for your voluntary participation in the community, or for your submissions or contributions.

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