[windows_errors] [What_Error_Messages_Really_Mean_WinXP] Reporting WinXP Error Reports/PC Magazine
- From: "orang" <orang_redux_777@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: What_Error_Messages_Really_Mean_WinXP@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 15:27:54 -0000
Hi, Members:
I hope this article on WinXP Error Reports may be helpful.
/\ Orang /\
Extract:
Windows XP Error Reports
By Sheryl Canter
February 3, 2004
When a program crashes under Windows XP, a dialog box may ask you to
send an error report to Microsoft (see Figure 1 ). Does sending a
report do any good? More important, do error reports contain private
information about you?
Windows Error Reporting (WER), introduced with Windows XP, lets users
send detailed reports when programs crash and lets vendors inform
users of fixes and workarounds for reported errors. The error reports
are stored in a password-protected database.
Programs must be specially written to use WER. Microsoft uses WER in
all recent programs and strongly encourages other companies to do the
same. There is no charge for using the system. The list of
participating vendors is long (see https://winqual.microsoft.
com/parentorgs.asp), and the feedback has been positive.
Representatives at Zone Labs say that WER has quickly alerted them to
incompatibilities with new operating systems and patches.
What About Privacy?
The data collected in error reports depends on the type of error and
may include recent actions (for example, menu choices), network
information, machine configuration, relevant files (such as documents,
logs, or configuration files), a snapshot of memory, and software
configuration information obtained by scanning file versions and
Registry settings. A detailed list can be found at http://oca.
microsoft.com/en/dcp20.asp.
Error reports can inadvertently contain private information. For
example, a snapshot of memory might contain your name, fragments of a
document you were writing at the time of the crash, or data recently
submitted to a Web site. Private information also may be in Registry
keys, log files, or documents sent with the error report.
Error reports are transmitted using HTTPS. Encryption prevents others
from eavesdropping on your transmission, but it also prevents security
tools such as Zone Lab's myVault from detecting when personal
information is being passed. Developers using WER must sign an
agreement ensuring your privacy, but if you think a particular error
report may contain personal information, you shouldn't send the
report.
Unless identifying information is captured inadvertently, the basic
report is anonymous. But vendors can incorporate other options when
WER-enabling their software. After submitting an error report, you may
be asked whether you'd like to fill out a survey or track the status
of your report. Such options remove anonymity.
With the latest update to WER, information related to your report, if
available, is displayed automatically when you submit the report. This
may include a hotfix, an update, or information on a workaround. For
details, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article 821253 (http:
//support.microsoft.com/default.asp?scid=kb;en-us;821253).
Configuring WER
By default, Windows XP offers to submit all error reports, but if you
are logged on with Administrator privileges, you can customize which
errors are reported or disable error reporting entirely.
To change your WER options, open the Control Panel, launch the System
applet, and click on the Error Reporting button in the Advanced page.
This launches the Error Reporting dialog.
If you select Disable error reporting, you can still be notified
when critical errors occur. To see the list of errors, go to the
System Tools folder under Accessories, launch the System Information
applet, expand the Software Environment node, then highlight Windows
Error Reporting.
IT administrators can use the Corporate Error Reporting tool to
collect reports throughout their organizations and select which to
submit. The tool is part of the Office XP Resource Kit (http://go.
microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=6754). To configure Corporate Error
Reporting, enable the Report Errors policy setting in the Group Policy
applet and set the Corporate upload file path to the local file server
where the tool is installed. All error reports will then be directed
to this file server for review.
Submitting crash reports provides good information to vendors but use
the feature cautiously, since private information can be included in
the error report.
End extract:
Source (pastable link:)
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1435181,00.asp
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Upgrade to 128-bit SSL Security!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/qZ0LdD/yjVHAA/TtwFAA/67folB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->
Yahoo! Groups Links
To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/What_Error_Messages_Really_Mean_WinXP/
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
What_Error_Messages_Really_Mean_WinXP-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Other related posts:
- » [windows_errors] [What_Error_Messages_Really_Mean_WinXP] Reporting WinXP Error Reports/PC Magazine
