Essential Windows Links

Certification

Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine (http://www.mcpmag.com/)	From regular columns to exam and certification news to tips and resources, Microsoft Certified Professional is an excellent source of training and certification information.
CertMag (http://www.certmag.com/)	CertMag offers courseware, training, and testing center information, certification program updates, job boards, and other resources for IT professionals seeking industry certification. You'll also find Windows training and education tips.
CramSession (http://www.cramsession.com/)	Remember staying up all night studying for history and math exams the next day? CramSession gives you the study guides and practice exams you'll need to do the same thing for your MCSE.
BrainDumps http://www.mcsebraindumps.com/	We don’t recommend them, but IT pros demand 'em. We’re talking about brain dumps, and you’ll find them here.

Bugs and fixes

Vnunet.com (http://www.vnunet.com/News/Security/Bugs%20and%20fixes)	This site offers up-to-date articles, searches, forums, and comment pages focusing on news, security, bugs, and fixes. It's a great choice for keeping up with the latest information.
BugNet (http://www.bugnet.com/)	One of the industry’s definitive bug and solution sites, BugNet offers a healthy database of Windows bugs and their respective solutions.
WebRing (http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=ntprof;list)	The Windows NT/2000 Professional WebRing collects some of the most popular Windows network operating system resources into a single site.
NTBugtraq (http://www.ntbugtraq.com/)	NTBugtraq is a mailing list that will keep you up to date with the latest bug information for all versions of Windows.

Drivers

The DriverGuide (http://www.driverguide.com/)	As seen on NBC News!, DriverGuide has, with the help of its members, compiled what it claims is the most comprehensive driver database on the Web.
The Driver Forum (http://www.driverforum.com/)	Surf to the Driver Forum for discussion forums covering a wide range of hardware devices and peripherals.
Windows & .NET Magazine (http://www.winntmag.com/)	This has long been one of the most respected Windows publications, with a reputation for accurate how-to articles, timely tips, and a wealth of bug, troubleshooting, and driver information.
Tom’s Hardware Guide (http://www5.tomshardware.com/)	This site provides an abundance of information on the latest hardware releases and corporate announcements, as well as editorials on IT events and numerous benchmark tests of hardware performance.
WinDrivers.com (http://www.windrivers.com/)	WinDrivers bills itself as a "one-stop source" for drivers, antivirus updates, and patches. This one isn't free, though. You'll have to subscribe to use it.

Administration and support

Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/default.mspx)	Go directly to the horse's mouth. This site offers an extensive collection of system requirements, deployment and administration case studies, white papers, and support tips.
ArsTechnica (http://www.arstechnica.com/)	The name might be a little odd, but this site contains lots of useful information, presented in a technical, although not overly geeky, style.
JSI, Inc. (http://www.jsiinc.com/)	JSI, Inc. maintains an ongoing archive of hundreds of tips and tricks covering all versions of Windows.
Labmice.net (http://www.labmice.net/)	This site offers more Windows 2000 news, information, feature articles, and troubleshooting tips than you can shake a mouse at.

These are the links no IT support professional should be without. While this list is by no means a complete inventory of IT Web sites, it is a place to start when looking for drivers, updates, patches, or troubleshooting information. If your favorite IT support site isn't listed here, please e-mail us. We will periodically update this list with links to new sites and updates to current sites.

Product reviews, IT news, editorial columns, how-to guides, and such
CNET.com http://www.cnet.com/	CNET is your best online resource for product reviews and pricing information. Find out who sells that new monitor your CEO wants at the lowest price.
GameSpy's PlanetHardware http://www.gamespy.com/hardware/	Although this site is geared more toward gamers, it contains a lot of useful information on the latest PC hardware.
Hardware Extreme http://www.hwextreme.com/	This is another site geared toward serious IT hobbyists and gamers, but it has plenty of hardware reviews.
HardwareCentral http://www.hardwarecentral.com/	This site offers hardware information, including reviews, editorials, buying guides, and more.
Slashdot http://slashdot.org/	Here, you'll find a one-stop shop for all things open source, including articles, discussions, and journals.
SharkyExtreme.com http://www.sharkyextreme.com	Although this site is aimed at the PC enthusiast/gamer, it has lots for the PC professional, including hardware reviews, weekly CPU and RAM price updates, and handy hardware buying guides.
The Register http://www.theregister.co.uk	The Register is a British site that carries up the minute news of developments in the IT world, interspersed with some great humor, especially BOFH.
Tom's Hardware Guide http://www.tomshardware.com/	This site is a great source for reviews and guides about the latest computer hardware.
ZDNet http://www.zdnet.com/	A great place for technology news, product reviews, IT commentary, and more. This site offers anything and everything for the IT professional.
Programming, Web development, scripts, and such
4GuysFromRolla.com http://www.4guysfromrolla.com/	If you're looking for the most current information on ASP, this Web site is for you.
Builder.com http://builder.com.com/	Created by developers, for developers, Builder.com brings software developers fresh, real-world perspective on topics from programming to architecture to management.
HotScripts.com http://www.hotsccripts.com/	This site is geared toward Web masters and programmers. It compiles Web programming-related information on topics such as ASP, C, Java, XML, PHP, and Perl.
jGuru.com http://www.jguru.com/	Here, you'll find forums, articles, FAQs, and more, all focused on Java.
O'Reilly Perl.com http://www.perl.com/	Perl, Perl, Perl, and nothing but Perl. If you're a Perl programmer, this site should be on your Favorites list.
Programmers Heaven http://www.programmersheaven.com/	Although this site is mainly a link database to other sites, it compiles links to some of the most useful programming and development sites on the Web, all in one place.
ScriptSearch.com http://www.scriptsearch.com/	This is another great resource for programmers and developers, with information on various languages and technologies, including ASP, C, CFML, PHP, XML, Visual Basic, and Java.
Downloads, utilities, drivers, and such
Bootdisk.com http://www.bootdisk.com/	When was the last time you needed a Windows 95 boot disk but didn't have a Windows 95 machine lying around? Bootdisk.com offers tips, tweaks, files, boot disks, instructions, utilities, links, patches, and updates for advanced DOS and Windows users.
BovisTech http://www.bovistech.com/	This site is another good resource for boot disks, drivers, Windows/DOS utilities, Config.sys files, and the like.
CPU Planet http://www.cpuplanet.com/index.php	A fat source of information about AMD CPUs
Download.com http://download.com/	This handy site from CNET offers access to more than 20,000 Windows, Macintosh, DOS, Linux, Palm OS, Windows CE, and BeOS software downloads.
Driverguide www.driverguide.com	Need a driver? This site seldom fails to deliver a driver for anything you may encounter in the field
Driverzone.com http://www.driverzone.com/	Go here to find drivers for everything from printers and scanners to video cards and modems. Also look here for reviews, utilities, component manufacturer information and guides.
Eventid.net http://www.eventid.net	There are numerous event or error messages that occur when you are troubleshooting systems, but what do they mean? Look here for guidance.
Moochers.com http://www.moochers.com/	Moochers.com has tons of software and freeware for Windows and Linux. You'll find applications, tools, utilities, fonts, icons, etc. The only problem with this site is the disproportional number of pop ups that are associated with it.
PC Drivers HeadQuarters http://www.drivershq.com	This site that provides links to device manufacturer Web sites. This site prides itself in locating up to date drivers for your computer.
Sysinternals http://www.sysinternals.com	Advanced utilities, Technical information and source code for all versions of windows plus much more.
Tucows http://www.tucows.com	This is a very useful site for finding downloads of full programs, utilities, games. Mail clients, in short, anything. All software is rated in cows.
Virtual Dr http://www.virtualdr.com/	Wide ranging discussion groups offering helps and advice as an on line community for techies of all kinds to share their knowledge and their problems.
WinDrivers http://www.windrivers.com/	Go here to locate hard-to-find drivers. Now also offers antivirus updates and security patches.
Manufacturer support
Acer Product Support http://global.acer.com/	Whether you have a laptop, desktop, server, projector or a screen from Acer, use this site to obtain the latest drivers and product information.
Compaq and Hewlett-Packard Support http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Home.jsp	If you support Compaq or Hewlett-Packard equipment, this link is a must have on your Favorites list.
Dell Support http://support.dell.com/us/en/home.asp	For those who support Dell equipment, make sure to put this on your Favorites list.
Gateway Support http://www.gateway.com/support/default.asp	There's no better place for Gateway-specific information.
MicronPC Technical Support http://support.micronpc.com/	Whether you're looking for information on a Millennia, ClientPro, or GoBook system, Micron's technical support site has the info you need.
Microsoft Knowledge Base http://search.support.microsoft.com/kb/c.asp	This is the best place to start when troubleshooting a Microsoft product.
Microsoft Windows http://www.microsoft.com/windows/default.asp	Go here to find Microsoft's official site for all things Windows related.
Toshiba product support http://www.toshiba.com/tai-new/	Looking for drivers for your Toshiba equipment? Choose your regional site from the global homepage and select your model from the list
General technology
AllExperts.com http://www.allexperts.com/central/computing.shtml	This Web site allows you to ask questions of IT experts who have experience in a variety of IT disciplines, including hardware, software, operating systems, programming, and more.
Marshall Brain's HowStuffWorks http://www.howstuffworks.com/	Go here to find detailed descriptions of how mechanical devices work, how holidays developed, how the human body works, and much more.
Whatis.com http://whatis.techtarget.com/	If you need a quick definition of an IT acronym, file extension, or term, this is the site to use. It's easy, quick, and accurate. (Read TechRepublic's review of Whatis.com here.)
Training and certification
Brainbench http://www.brainbench.com/	You'll find tons of online certifications for a variety of IT and business topics, including Windows, general help desk support, network technical support, Java, C, and Visual Basic to name just a few. A fee is required for some tests.
CramSession http://www.cramsession.com/	This site offers a plethora of certification information, including downloadable study guides, online sample tests, and more.
ExamCram.com http://www.examcram.com/	If you're looking for IT certification study material, this site from Coriolis is for you. ExamCram has study guides, practice tests, and personal trainers for MCSE, CompTIA, and Cisco certifications.
InformIT http://www.informit.com	A wealth of guides and articles for the IT professional
MCSEBraindumps.com http://www.mcsebraindumps.com/	This is a great site offering information on Windows 2000 MCSE, CompTIA, and Novell certifications.
Solarisprep http://solarisprep.com/	Your online stop for Solaris training. To quote the site: "This website is not a short cut in achieving certification…. My website is intended as a learning tool…"
TESTFREE http://www.testfree.com/	Check out the online practice exams for many MCSE and CNE certifications on this site.
Antivirus and security
Astalavista Group http://www.astalavista.com/	Don't let hackers, crackers, phone phreaks, or script kiddies catch you off guard. Find the latest news from the IT underground on this site.
Church of the Swimming Elephant http://www.cotse.com/	This Web site focuses on a variety of IT security issues. The site offers virus information, bug fixes, tools, and a whole lot more.
Symantec Antivirus Research Center http://www.sarc.com/	This site is a must-have for users of Norton Antivirus software. Even if you don't use Norton Antivirus, though, it's one of best sources of virus information on the Web.
Vmyths.com http://www.vmyths.com/	Want to know if the latest virus scare is real? Vmyths.com offers straightforward info about computer virus myths, hoaxes, and urban legends. Read TechRepublic's review of Vmyths.com here.

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