Checking for Solutions to Problems

Microsoft constantly collects information about Vista from users. When a problem occurs, Vista 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 Vista's most promising new features is Problem Reports and Solutions, and it's designed to make solutions available to anyone who goes looking for them. Vista 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, Vista will download it, install it, and fix your system.

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

1. Select Start, Control Panel to open the Control Panel window.
2. Select System and Maintenance.
3. Select Problem Reports and Solutions.
4. In the Problem Reports and Solutions window, click the Check for New Solutions link. Windows Vista begins checking for solutions.
5. If you see a dialog box asking whether you want to send more information about your problems, click Send Information.
6. If a solution exists for your computer, you'll see it listed in the Solutions to Install section of the Problem Reports and Solutions window. Click the solution to install it.

By default, when a problem occurs, Vista 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. In the Problem Reports and Solutions window, click Change Settings.
2. In the Choose How to Check for Solutions to Computer Problems window, click Advanced Settings to display the Advanced Settings for Problem Reporting window.
3. If you don't want to report problems at all on your user account, activate the Off option. Alternatively, you can configure problem reporting for all users of your computer. Click Change Setting beside the For All Users and Programs, Problem Reporting Is Set To, and then click one of the following options (when you're done, click OK and enter your User Account Control [UAC] credentials):

   On. Activate this option to force all users to report problems
   Off. Activate this option to force all user not to report problems
   Allow Each User to Choose Settings. Activate this option (it's the default) to enable each user to turn problem reporting on or off
   
   Note: When you send extra troubleshooting information to Microsoft, you're only adding data about the problem to Microsoft's existing database of problems and solutions. It's unlikely a human being will ever see the data, so don't expect a response.

4. To configure problem reporting, click Change Setting beside For All Users, Windows Is Set To, and then click one of the following options (when you're done, click OK and enter your UAC credentials):

   Allow Each User to Choose Reporting Settings. Activate this options to enable the Automatically Send More Information If It Is Needed to Help Solve Problems check box.
   Ask Each Time a Problem Occurs. Activate this option to have Vista prompt each user to check box solutions and to send additional information about the problem.
   Automatically Check for Solutions. Activate this option (it's the default) to have Vista automatically check online for an existing solution to a problem.
   Automatically Check for Solutions and Send Additional Information, If Needed. Activate this option to have Vista automatically check online for an existing solution to a problem and to automatically send extra information about the problem.

5. If you want Vista to always send the extra troubleshooting information, activate the Automatically Send More Information If It Is Needed To Help Solve Problems check box.
6. If you don't want Vista to send information about a specific program, click Add, locate and select the program's executable file, and then click Open.
7. Click OK.