Windows 2000 – Windows Report Tool

Windows Report Tool

An Overview of the Windows 2000 Report Tool

You can use the Windows Report Tool to collect information about your computer that can be used by technical support professionals to diagnose and troubleshoot problems on your computer.

Windows Report Tool takes a snapshot of your computer settings and selected system and program files. This snapshot can then be submitted to a computer manufacturer, software vendor, or technical support professional in various ways, such as via e-mail or fax. The Windows Report Tool is meant solely for use by technical support professionals to assist them in troubleshooting your problems. If all you really require is information about your computer or Windows, then open Computer Management. By using the Computer Management tools, you can review the Event Viewer and the event logs it creates, System Information, which provides detailed information about your computer, the Performance Logs and Alerts for your system as well as Device Manager.

As an example, if you technical support provider requests Windows Report Tool information through its Internet site, or if your provider offers e-mail support, you can save the report locally on your computer and then send it as an attachment in e-mail with your support request.

Note:

• To open Computer Management, click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management.
• For information about using Computer Management, click the Action menu in Computer Management, and then click Help.

To Start Windows Report Tool

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type winrep, and then click OK.

To Describe a Problem

1. In the Windows Report Tool dialog box, describe your problem in the following fields:
   • In the Problem description field, type a brief description of the problem, including the exact title and text of any error messages you see.
   • In the Expected results field, describe what you expected to happen as well as what actually occurred.
   • In the Steps to reproduce the problem field, list and number the detailed steps required to duplicate the problem.
2. On the Options menu, click Collected Information.
3. In the Files to Copy list, click to select the check box next to each file that is relevant to your report. Elected files appear with an X in their associated check boxes.

   Note: By default, Windows Report Tool does not include any additional files in the Files to copy list. To include only your problem report and system information, click OK. To include all the files, click Select All.

4. The Windows Report Tool automatically includes all your computer’s system settings in the report.
5. If you tried to fix the problem before creating and saving a report, the system settings in the report won’t reflect the state of your computer when the problem occurred. If possible, restore the original settings, and reproduce the problem before you submit the report.

It is extremely important to provide accurate computer settings in a report!

When you create a report, the Windows Report Tool automatically copies all current system information from your computer. If you create the report immediately after the problem occurs, the system settings that were in effect when the problem occurred will be saved and you don’t need to do anything else.

However, if you attempt to fix the problem and then decide to report it later, your computer settings will be different from those that were in effect when the problem occurred. Submitting such a report will provide inaccurate information to your technical support representative.

If you lose your Internet connection, save your report to a floppy disk. Then, open the report on another computer, and submit it from there.

Using Dr. Watson along with the Windows Report Tool

Dr. Watson detects information about system and program failures and records the information in a log file. In the event of a program error, Dr. Watson starts automatically.

Opening Dr. Watson

• To open Dr. Watson, click Start, click Run, and then type drwtsn32.
• Dr. Watson cannot prevent errors from occurring, but the information recorded in the log file can be used by technical support personnel to diagnose the problem.
• For information about using Dr. Watson, click Help in Dr. Watson.

  Note: This log file can now be attached to the report from the Windows Report Tool.

To Create and Submit a Report Using the Windows Report Tool

1. In the Windows Report Tool dialog box, describe the problem, verify the files to be copied, and then click Next.
2. If you see a Web page, follow the instructions on the Web page for submitting your report.

   If you see a message asking you to save the report to a location on your local computer, save the report and continue to the next step of this procedure.

3. Contact your support provider for specific instructions about submitting your report. If your support provider takes e-mail support requests, you can send the report as an attachment in e-mail.

   Note: To verify the files to be copied, click Change System File Selections and review the files that are selected in the Files to copy list.

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