What good has come from WinXP's error reporting?

[choosybeggar]

I’m referring to the dialog that opens after a non-responding application is closed via the task manager. It requests permission to send information regarding the crash to MS HQ.

What improvements have come from this error reporting? How does MS handle the enormous amount of info?

PS I find this feature annoying and intrusive (any way to disable?).

[DarrenS]

I too am curious.

To disable it:

Right-click “My Computer”
“Properties”
“Advanced”
“Error reporting”

The options to disable it are there.

[Dog80]

I don’t have an answer for the first part, but I can tell you how to disable Error Reporting Service.
Go to Control Panel (Classic View) --> Administrative Tools and choose Services.
Find Error Reporting Service and disable it

If for some reason you can’t find Administrative tools in the Control Panel, here is the hard way!

Click on Start and then Run
type “mmc” and click OK
Then, File->Add/Remove Snap In
Click Add…
Then choose Services
Click Add and then Finish
Then Services will appear under Console Root
Click on Services and on the right panel all available services will appear
Find Error Reporting Service and disable it

Note that you have to log on with a username with administrator rights to do that.

[Dog80]

@DarrenS

To disable it:

Right-click “My Computer”
“Properties”
“Advanced”
“Error reporting”

The options to disable it are there.

I didn’t know there was an easier way to do it :o

[PosterChild]

Just thought I’d add that from Microsoft’s web site Tom Phillips (General Manager, Windows Hardware Experience Group) said:

Finally, I’d like to spend just a moment on something called Windows Error Reporting. Windows error reporting has really enabled us to bridge a gap that existed for years and years in our industry, which is, what was actually happening after we shipped that product. How did we statistically know with precision what was actually happening with the hardware and software products that we were creating? I’d like to sit back a moment and show you a video, a video that shows a customer and what kind of impact Windows Error Reporting has had on that customer.

Can we roll the video, please?

(Video segment.)

That was a great example of a customer who experienced a problem, and through Windows error reporting was able to understand what the problem was, diagnose it and to fix that, and to fix that in a way that didn’t result in a phone call. And better yet resulted in a customer at the end of the day who is very satisfied with their product experience. So Windows Error Reporting is a great way to tighten that feedback loop so that we get both hardware and software feedback and understand exactly what’s happening with our customers, and have a way to basically then proactively go out and fix problems that might affect other customers.

The second half of that Windows Error Reporting is through the Windows Update, and through Windows Update it’s an amazing amount of progress over the course of the past year: over 4 billion downloads, servicing over 70 million customers, over 100 million drivers that were downloaded, all through Windows Update. What that spells to us is a great initial progress, but lots of opportunities, lots of opportunities to create even more satisfied customers, using these online services to ensure that they have the highest quality customer experience possible.

and from Greg Nichols (Program Manger, Windows Product Feedback Team)

Most importantly we DO have plans to get more 3rd party fixes in the hands of customers via Error Reporting

At least that’s FWIW what they say.