# Internet Explorer Error Report. WTF?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-explorer-error-report-wtf/203466>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 24, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-explorer-error-report-wtf/203466 "2003-09-24T02:55:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-explorer-error-report-wtf/203466/1 "2003-09-24T02:55:01Z")

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For the last 2 weeks, every so often I get this pop up window “Microsoft Internet Explorer Error Report”. For some reason IE is screwed up, and is going to close. I get the option to report this to Microsoft or not. I’ve hit the “send report” option, but it didn’t do any good. i still get this about once a day.

So, what’s going on? Is IE messed up, or is there something wrong with my computer? When it does this, I lose everything I was looking at, and I have to re-search. it’s very annoying!!!:mad:

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-explorer-error-report-wtf/203466/2 "2003-09-24T03:07:43Z")

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I assume the “Send report” function sends a stack dump and other diagnostic information to MS. Whatever changes they would make based on that info wouldn’t come into effect until you download the next patch/version of IE.

Of course, they must get LOTS of these reports, and likely only work on the top-occurring faults. The chances your particular problem gets worked on might be very low.

As far as fixing the problem, I can only say make sure you have the latest patches. Would it be a particular web page that causes this problem?

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**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-explorer-error-report-wtf/203466/3 "2003-09-25T12:18:19Z")

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I would think those reports also contribute to their knowledge base of known problems that you can search thru.  
I was having a problem with IE6 SP1 a few weeks back and would get the report error pop-up sometimes as well. Sometimes I would click send other times I wouldn’t.  
I solved my problem by uninstalling and reinstalling Win98SE.

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**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-explorer-error-report-wtf/203466/4 "2003-09-25T12:20:01Z")

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And reinstalling IE6 SP1

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**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-explorer-error-report-wtf/203466/5 "2003-09-25T12:46:44Z")

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If you go to Windows Update and scan for available updates you should be able to download a Windows Error Reporting update. After sending an error report to MS, a report will be provided specifying details on what caused the error.

(This update is available for XP, I can’t say for sure about other Windows OS’s.)