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Windows tip of the week

Take detailed Windows Help files offline


By Ed Bott


Over the past few years, Microsoft has been quietly building up an enormous library of in-depth technical documentation for IT professionals. Start at https://docs.microsoft.com, and follow the main topic index or the directory that includes dozens of products.


Under the Windows Documentation heading, for example, you can click IT Pro and then drill down to find detailed topics on deployment, configuration, security, privacy, troubleshooting, and more. This content is categorized into four levels, with Level 100 suitable for beginners and Level 400 topics packed with enough detail for even the most experienced IT pro to learn something new.


If you want to take some of this content offline so that you can study it at your leisure, look for the well-hidden Download PDF link in the bottom left corner of every topic page. That link saves a local copy that includes every subtopic available under the current heading.


A word of warning, though: These articles can be huge. Downloading the "Deploy and Update Windows 10" topic, for example, results in a PDF file that's more than 1200 pages long. For a more manageable file size, try choosing a subheading first.

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