What this feature does
Microsoft Error Reporting Service helps Microsoft and Windows partners diagnose problems in the software you use and provide solutions. Not all problems have solutions, but when solutions are available, they are offered as steps to solve a problem you’ve reported or as updates to install. As part of setup and installation, the Microsoft Error Reporting Service sends back information about setup or installation failures in order to attempt to diagnose the problem. To help prevent problems and make software more reliable, some solutions are also included in service packs and future versions of the software.
Many Microsoft software programs, including Windows Vista, are designed to work with the reporting service. If a problem occurs in one of these software programs, you are asked if you want to send a report so you can check for a solution. You can view the details of the report before sending it, although some files might not be in a readable format.
Windows Vista also allows you to report problems automatically instead of requesting your consent each time a problem occurs. If you use automatic reporting, you are not typically prompted to review the information in a report before it is sent. However, no information is sent unless you (or your system or network administrator) choose to report problems. You can choose to stop reporting problems at any time.
Enterprise customers can use the Microsoft Corporate Error Reporting Service to manage error reporting and data collection, and to choose the information that is sent to Microsoft.
For more information, see the Corporate Error Reporting website at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=55127
Information collected, processed, or transmitted
The reporting service can collect information about problems that interrupt you while you work, and about errors that occur behind the scenes. It is important to diagnose errors that occur behind the scenes because these problems, if left unsolved, might cause additional problems such as performance or program failures.
Reports contain information that is most useful for diagnosing and solving the problem that has occurred, such as:
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Where the problem happened in the software or hardware; occasionally, empty files might be included as an initial indication of a problem
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The type or severity of the problem, if known
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Files that help describe the problem (typically, system or report-generated files about software behavior before or after the problem occurred)
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Basic software and hardware information (such as operating system version and language, device models and manufacturers, or memory and hard disk size)
Reports might unintentionally contain personal information, but Microsoft does not use the information to identify you or contact you. For example, a report that contains a snapshot of computer memory might include your name, part of a document you were working on, or data that you recently submitted to a website. If you are concerned that a report might contain personal or confidential information, you should not send the report. If a report is likely to contain this type of information, Windows will ask if you want to send it, even if you have turned on automatic reporting. This gives you the opportunity to review the report before sending it to Microsoft. Reports that you have not yet sent to Microsoft, including files and data attached to those reports, may be stored on your computer until you have an opportunity to review and send them. Reports that you have already sent, including files and data attached to those reports, may also be stored on your computer.
After you report a problem, you might be asked to complete a survey about the error experience. If you choose to provide a phone number or e-mail address in response to the survey, your error report will no longer be anonymous. Microsoft may contact you to request additional information to help solve the problem you reported.
Use of information
Microsoft uses information about errors and problems to improve Windows and the software and hardware designed for use with Windows operating systems. Microsoft employees, contractors, vendors, and partners may be provided access to information collected by the reporting service. However, they may use the information only to repair or improve the products that they publish or manufacture.
For example, if an error report indicates that a third-party product is involved, Microsoft may send that information to the vendor of the product. The vendor may provide the information to sub-vendors and partners; however, all parties must abide by the terms of this privacy statement.
To improve the products that run on Microsoft software, Microsoft may share aggregate information about errors and problems. Microsoft uses aggregate information for statistical analysis. Aggregate information does not contain specific information from individual reports, nor does it include any personal or confidential information that may have been collected from a report.
Choice and control
To view your problem history, check for new solutions, or delete problem reports and solutions, go to Problem Reports and Solutions in Control Panel or see Windows Help and Support for more information.
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