Windows 7: Troubleshooting Tools (part 3) - Checking for Solutions to Problems

Checking for Solutions to Problems

Microsoft constantly collects information about Windows 7 from users. When a problem occurs, Windows 7 usually asks whether you want to send information about the problem to Microsoft and, if you do, it stores these tidbits in a massive database. Engineers then tackle the “issues” (as they euphemistically call them) and hopefully come up with solutions.

One of Windows 7’s most promising features is called Problem Reporting (it was called Problem Reports and Solutions in Vista), and it’s designed to make solutions available to anyone who goes looking for them. Windows 7 keeps a list of problems your computer is having, so you can tell it to go online and see whether a solution is available. If there’s a solution waiting, Windows 7 will download it, install it, and fix your system.

Here are the steps to follow to check for solutions to problems:

By default, when a problem occurs, Windows 7 does two things:

• It automatically checks for a solution to the problem.

• It asks whether you want to send more information about the problem to Microsoft.

You can control this behavior by configuring a few settings:

1.	Select Start, type action, and then click Action Center in the results. (You can also click the Action Center icon in the taskbar’s notification area, and then click Open Action Center.) The Action Center window appears.
2.	Click Maintenance to view the maintenance-related tools and messages.
3.	Click Settings. The Problem Reporting Settings window appears.
4.	In the Choose How to Check for Solutions to Computer Problems window, click Advanced Settings to display the Advanced Settings for Problem Reporting window shown in Figure 5. Figure 5. Use the Advanced Settings for Problem Reporting window to configure the Problem Reporting feature.
5.	To configure problem reporting, click one of the following options: Automatically Check for Solutions— Activate this option (it’s the default) to have Windows 7 automatically check online for an existing solution to a problem. Automatically Check for Solutions and Send Additional Report Data, If Needed— Activate this option to have Windows 7 automatically check online for an existing solution to a problem and to automatically send extra information about the problem. Each Time a Problem Occurs, Ask Me Before Checking for Solutions— Activate this option to have Windows 7 prompt you to check for solutions and to send additional information about the problem. Never Check for Solutions— Activate this option if you don’t want to report problems at all.
6.	By default, Windows 7 applies the setting from step 5 only to the current user. If you want to configure the same problem reporting option for every user, click the Change Report Settings for All Users link to open the Problem Reporting dialog box, choose the reporting option you want everyone to use, and then click OK. Note If you change your mind and prefer each user to choose his or her own reporting option, click the Change Report Settings for All Users link, activate the Allow Each User to Choose Settings option, and then click OK.
7.	If you don’t want Windows 7 to send information about a specific program, click the Select Programs to Exclude from Reporting link to open the Advanced Problem Reporting Settings window. Click Add, locate and select the program’s executable file, click Open, and then click OK.
8.	Click OK to put the new settings into effect.