# How do I get a more detailed error message whan a program stops working in vista?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-more-detailed-error-message-whan-a-program-stops-working-in-vista/432740>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 8, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-more-detailed-error-message-whan-a-program-stops-working-in-vista/432740 "2008-01-08T15:35:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-more-detailed-error-message-whan-a-program-stops-working-in-vista/432740/1 "2008-01-08T15:35:35Z")

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In older versions of Windows I could at least get some clue why a program stops working, but in Vista I just get the ‘[program] has stopped working’ dialog.

Is there any way to get some information about why something stops working?

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**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-more-detailed-error-message-whan-a-program-stops-working-in-vista/432740/2 "2008-01-08T16:48:02Z")

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Have you tried looking in the Event Viewer? Look in the Application Log and the System Log.

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-more-detailed-error-message-whan-a-program-stops-working-in-vista/432740/3 "2008-01-08T17:39:27Z")

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[QUOTE=Quartz]  
Have you tried looking in the Event Viewer? Look in the Application Log and the System Log.  
[/QUOTE]

Got it. Thanks.