Problem Reports and Solutions

When some hardware or software problems occur on your computer, such as if a program stops working or stops responding, Windows creates a problem report so you can check for a solution. You can check for solutions at any time, or you can set Windows to check for them automatically.

Internet connectivity is not required to run the Problem Reports and Solutions interface, but will prompt you to connect and search for updated solutions if a connection is not found.

Problem Reports and Solutions is only available in Normal mode and Safe mode with networking. There are functional limitations in Safe mode with networking, and applications that require services or drivers to run, will not be diagnosed correctly. Programs that require these services may not be active when the Problem Reports and Solutions tool is run.

To open Problem Reports and Solutions, follow these steps:

  1. From the Windows Vista default Start menu, click Control Panel.

  2. In Control Panel, open Problem Reports and Solutions.

    • If in Control Panel Home View, click System and Maintenance and then click Problem Reports and Solutions.
    • If in Classic View, click Problem Reports and Solutions.

    On the graphic below, click the hyperlinks for more information.

    Problem Reports and Solutions

    Check for new solutions
    See problems to check
    View problem history
    Change settings
    Clear solution and problem history