24. Disable Windows Error Reporting
Windows Error Reporting is extremely useful in that it records
errors and then sends the details to Microsoft for analysis. Our
only concern is that, so far, regardless of how many application
crashes, particularly Internet Explorer 8.0, and regardless of how
much information is gathered and sent to Microsoft we have yet to be
presented with an actual solution to even one of our problems. In
theory Windows Error reporting should be a God sent, however, in
practice it seems more like a joke than anything.
If you get fed up with looking at the regular notices that
Windows has detected an error and needs to upload further
information or perhaps the Check for Solutions nag screen is
driving you potty here is the way to disable it.
Note
To disable this function you will be using the Group Policy
Editor which, unfortunately, is not available in Windows 7 Home
and Windows 7 Home Premium.
- Click the Start button.
- In the start search dialogue box type:
gpedit.msc and
Press Enter.
- The Group Policy window will now open.
- In the Left hand Pane of the Group Policy window, Click on
the chevron (>) next to Computer Configuration. This will
expand the directory.
- Look down the list and Click on the chevron (>) next to
Administrative Templates.
- Again look down the Administrative Templates list and
Click on the chevron (>)next to Windows Components.
- Finally Click on the Windows Error reporting option.
- Take a look in the Right Hand Pane for the
Disable
Windows Error Reporting option and highlight it by clicking
on it with your mouse.
- A description of what this policy does now appears.
- At the top of this description you will see a link marked
Edit Policy Setting, Click on this link to view the
Disable
Error reporting options.
- Click the radio button next to the
Disable option and
the Press OK.
- Windows Error Reporting has now been disabled.
- To re-enable Error Reporting follow above steps but
instead of Clicking the disabled radio button Click the
Enabled option.