Windows Error Reporting: Difference between revisions

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===Windows XP===

[[Microsoft]] first introduced Windows Error Reporting with [[Windows XP]].<ref name="whatisit" /> It was added during early Beta 1 development in build 2250 as Exception Reporting, and was renamed to Error Reporting in build 2267.

===Windows Vista===

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===Windows 7===

The Problem Reports and Solutions [[Control Panel (Windows)|Control Panel]] applet was replaced by the Maintenance section of the [[WindowsSecurity and Maintenance|Action Center]] on [[Windows 7]] and [[Windows Server 2008 R2|Server 2008 R2]].

A new app, Problem Steps Recorder (PSR.exe), is available on all builds of Windows 7 and enables the collection of the actions performed by a user while encountering a crash so that testers and developers can reproduce the situation for analysis and debugging.<ref>[http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd371782(v=vs.85).aspx Windows Error Reporting Problem Steps Recorder]</ref>

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==Third-party software==

Software & hardware manufacturers may access their error reports using Microsoft's [[Windows Dev Center]] Hardware and Desktop Dashboard (formerly [[Winqual]]) program.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://sysdev.microsoft.com/ |title=SysDev (was Winqual) website |access-date=2012-11-07 |archive-date=2018-08-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803125334/http://sysdev.microsoft.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In order to ensure that error reporting data only goes to the engineers responsible for the product, Microsoft requires that interested vendors obtain a [[VeriSign]] Class 3 Digital ID or [[DigiCert]] certificate.<ref>[http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/br230783.aspx Update a code signing certificate]</ref> Digital certificates provided by cheaper providers (such as [[Thawte]], [[Comodo Group|Comodo]], [[GlobalSign]], [[GeoTrust]], [[Cybertrust]], [[Entrust]], [[GoDaddy]], QuoVadis, [[Trustwave]], [[SecureTrust]], [[Wells Fargo]]) are not accepted.<ref>[http://blogs.technet.com/b/empower/archive/2007/05/15/introducing-windows-error-reporting.aspx Introducing Windows Error Reporting]</ref><ref>[http://idvlpsw.wordpress.com/2008/03/08/winqual-registration-head-aches/ WinQual Registration Head Aches]</ref><ref>[http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/windowscompatibility/thread/37cc820e-d715-44b2-a7bd-a7fe47f6f13e/ Microsoft Support Forum: WER with Thawte authenticode signed app]</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/20120707011358/http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2005/08/10/449865.aspx The Old New Thing: How can a company get access to Windows Error Reporting data?]</ref><ref>[http://successfulsoftware.net/2008/02/27/the-great-digital-certificate-ripoff/ The great digital certificate ripoff?]</ref>

Software and hardware manufacturers can also close the loop with their customers by linking error signatures to Windows Error Reporting Responses. This allows distributing solutions as well as collecting extra information from customers (such as reproducing the steps they took before the [[Crash (computing)|crash]]) and providing them with support links.

==Impact on future software==

Microsoft has reported that data collected from Windows Error Reporting has made a huge difference in the way software is developed internally. For instance, in 2002, [[Steve Ballmer]] noted that error reports enabled the Windows team to fix 29% of all Windows&nbsp;XP errors with Windows XP SP1. Over half of all [[Microsoft Office]] XP errors were fixed with Office XP SP2.<ref>[http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/execmail/2002/10-02customers.mspx Steve Ballmer's letter: Connecting to customers]</ref> Success is based in part on the [[pareto principle|80/20 rule]]. Error reporting data reveals that there is a small set of bugs that is responsible for the vast majority of the problems users see. Fixing 20% of code defects can eliminate 80% or more of the problems users encounter. An article in the [[New York Times]] confirmed that error reporting data had been instrumental in fixing problems seen in the beta releases of Windows&nbsp;Vista and [[Microsoft Office 2007]].<ref>{{cite webnews |title=A Challenge for Exterminators (Published 2006) |websitework=[[The New York Times]] |date=9 October 2006 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/technology/09vista.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print |last1=Markoff |first1=John }}</ref>

==Privacy concerns and use by the NSA==