Using Microsoft Online Crash Analysis

If you experiment with beta software or bleeding-edge hardware, you've probably experienced an error that Windows XP is willing to call "serious." The message shown in Figure 1 appears when Windows XP has been forced to take drastic measures to protect your computer. If you choose to report the problem, technical information about the problem is collected and sent to Microsoft over the Internet. This is called error reporting.

If you have an Internet connection, you can report program errors and system errors to Microsoft. If an application experiences an error that it is not prepared to handle, Windows XP stops the application and prompts you to send an error report. If a piece of hardware or the software that communicates with the hardware (the driver) tries to do something that could corrupt your computer, Windows XP shows you a blue screen and restarts the computer. In the case of system errors, the message shown below in Figure 1 appears after your computer restarts. Then you're given the chance to track the error report using the Microsoft Online Crash Analysis (MOCA) Web site.

 

Figure 1: Uh-oh. It's time to visit the Microsoft Online Crash Analysis Web site.

 

This column explains what's in error reports, where they go, and how they are used. If you don't play with new technologies and haven't run into error reporting, you may still be interested in finding out more about the Microsoft bug-fixing processes.

What an Error Report Contains

If you do see an error message, you should make sure you're connected to the Internet and then click the Send Error Report button. Windows XP puts together a short message that describes the error you experienced, along with other information that helps Microsoft support personnel identify and resolve the problem. That message is then encrypted and sent across the Internet to Microsoft. For more information, see Error Report Contents Information.

The information in the error report contains general Windows XP data such as your operating system version and language, and the type of failure that occured. Depending on the type of failure, more detailed technical information about the cause of the problem may also be included to enable software developers to analyze it.

By default, error reporting is turned on in Windows XP. See the Knowledge Base article, How to Configure and Use Error Reporting in Windows XP, for more information.

How Microsoft Uses Error Reports

Microsoft gathers the error reports that customers send, analyzes them, and uses the aggregate information to determine which problems are causing the most suffering. Steve Ballmer points out in Connecting with Customers that about 80% of problems are caused by 20% of bugs. The error reporting information enables Microsoft developers to identify the most serious bugs and resolve them first. So, if you submit your error reports, there's a better chance that the bug that caused your error will be fixed in the future.

Immediately after you choose to send your error report, you will be taken to the Microsoft Online Crash Analysis (MOCA) Web site. In most cases, you can see details about the type of error that you've experienced before you send the report to MOCA. After you send the report, a response from MOCA will include steps to help solve the problem and sometimes a link to updated drivers. Depending on the specific error, it may even suggest a way to prevent it from happening in the future. For example, if you experience an error while using Windows XP and choose to send the error report, MOCA will analyze it. If MOCA determines that the error was caused by a problem that was resolved by an updated device driver, MOCA will provide a link to the Windows Update Web site.

The screen shown in Figure 2 shows the results of the MOCA analysis after I had an error while using a new piece of hardware. MOCA correctly identified the problem as being related to the device driver, and provided a link where I could download an updated driver.

 

Figure 2: Microsoft Online Crash Analysis can tell you what went wrong and how to prevent it.

Track Your Error Report

If you experienced a blue screen, you will be given the option to use MOCA to track the error. It's a good idea to track the errors, because you can return to the Microsoft Online Crash Analysis site later to see if a problem has been fixed, as shown in Figure 3. Since MOCA uses the .NET Passport to identify you, Microsoft support personnel can even contact you if they need more information. Although you can send error reports after an application fails to have your error analyzed by MOCA, you can only track error reports using Microsoft Online Crash Analysis if the problem resulted in a blue screen, which is also known as a stop error.

 

Figure 3: Tracking your errors is a great way to prepare for a call to technical support.

 

If your problem was caused by a non-Microsoft component, such as a hardware device driver created by a third-party, you should still send the error report. MOCA analyzes these errors, too. The data that MOCA collects is forwarded on to the company responsible for the driver, so that they can resolve the problem you're having. Depending on the manufacturer, you may even be able to download the updated drivers using Windows Update after the manufacturer has fixed the problem. For more information about how hardware and software vendors and Microsoft partners use this data, see the Windows Quality Online Services: Advantages of Using Windows Error Reporting.

Note: If MOCA tells you that the problem was caused by a device driver, it's probably caused by a piece of hardware that you've recently installed or upgraded. To get the most up-to-date driver, visit Windows Update or the manufacturer's Web site. For more information on working with device drivers, see Paul McFedries' column, Troubleshoot Device Driver Problems.

Addresses Privacy Issues

Microsoft goes to great lengths to protect your privacy when you submit error reports. The error report does contain a small portion of the contents of your computer's memory and the address your computer uses to connect to the Internet. However, Microsoft will never track the error report back to you personally—unless you specifically choose to track the error report. Further, Microsoft carefully guards this error reporting information, and only individuals actively working on fixing problems have access to the information. For more information, see Error Report Privacy Information.

Tired of Seeing Error Report Messages?

A friend of mine once covered up the Check Engine light on his dashboard because he was tired of seeing it lit up. Obviously, this was a bad idea, because hiding the notification of a problem only serves to ensure it won't be fixed. Sending error reports is one of the most important things you can do for the health of your computer. The more error reports Microsoft receives for a particular problem, the more likely it is the problem will be fixed. However, if you've got a problem that keeps appearing and you'd rather brush it under the carpet, you can turn off error reporting so it doesn't prompt you anymore by following these steps:

I hope you never have a serious problem with Windows XP, but if you do, you should send in your error report. If the problem has already been resolved, you'll get instructions for fixing it. If the problem hasn't been fixed, you'll let the folks at Microsoft know that there's a problem. Submitting your error report may even result in Microsoft releasing an update to solve your problem!