by Greg Schwartz

Created on: February 19, 2009   Last Updated: December 09, 2010

There is an abundance of information on the Internet, and with a little persistence, the novice computer user can usually find help with whatever problem he or she is having.  This article will discuss finding free tutorials for Windows software.

A good place to begin any search is with one of the two heavy hitters in the search engine world: Yahoo and

Google.  Searching for "free windows tutorial" on either of these sites will bring up thousands of hits, and with enough sifting, you should be able to find something helpful.  But the goal of this article is to do a little of that sifting for you, so you don't have to.

The obvious place to look for tutorials on Windows software would be at Microsoft's web page, and there are several useful tutorials here:

- Windows Movie Maker: How to use

- Windows Vista Help: Learn Vista

- Windows 2000 Professional in the Classroom

- Using Windows XP: Windows Help and How-to

- Microsoft PowerPoint Tutorial

Other websites also offer free tutorials.  A couple of popular ones are LearnThat.com (Windows Vista Tutorial, a bunch of Windows XP tutorials, some other various Windows tutorials) and GCFLearnFree.org (which has a very detailed Windows XP tutorial).

In addition to tutorials, you can even find free online classes (more in-depth than tutorials, and usually with an instructor available through email or online chat for additional help).  Hewlett-Packard has an extensive online class catalog, with everything from general how-to lessons to specific subjects such as advanced digital photography or repairing laptops.  Here are some of their current class offerings, but check back often because they constantly update their list.

- Migrating to Microsoft Windows Vista

- Introduction to Microsoft Word 2007

- Intermediate Microsoft Excel 2007

- Protect your PC from Spam, Spyware and Viruses

- Tune up your Microsoft Windows XP PC

Another way to find specific how-to information is by using forums.  Forums are online communities of people who gather to discuss specific subjects, and if you find a good techie forum, someone there will surely be able to answer your question (or at least point you in the right direction).  Two good forums to start with are Geeks to Go and Tech Forums.

These sites are just the tip of the iceberg. If none of them offer a tutorial on the subject that you're looking for, try one of the search engines; you're bound to find your answer out there somewhere.  Or you can submit an article request to a site like eHow in the hopes that one of the site's writers will address your issue (scroll down - there should be a box labeled "Request a New How To Article" on the left-hand side).

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