How to Turn off Error Reporting in Windows XP

Error in Internet Explorer

Error Reporting is on by default in Windows XP ProfessionalService Pack 1. The service gives Microsoft the ability to track and address errors relating to the operating system, components, and applications. The ideabehind the service was that Microsoft would be able to track down bugs and fixthem more efficiently and quickly.

Many users do not need or want to take advantage of thisfeature and would like to turn it off. Many of these users are concerned aboutwhat information is being passed on to Microsoft and about their privacy. Otherusers are just annoyed at how often they see the screen (Figure A) that asks them to submit the bug through the ErrorReporting service.

Solution 1

The controls to turn off or customize Windows ErrorReporting reside in System Settings, located in the Control Panel. (You canalso right-click My Computer and select Properties.) In the System Settingsdialog box, select the Advanced tab and then click the Error Reporting buttonto reveal the Error Reporting dialog box shown in Figure B.

Error Reporting configuration

From this dialog box, you can disable Error Reporting orcustomize it to work only on certain programs and/or Windows components.

Once you've disabled Error Reporting, you might as welldisable the service entirely, which you can do through Administrative Tools inthe Control Panel. Double-click on Services from the Administrative Toolsdialog box, scroll down to the Error Reporting entry, and double-click it. Fromthis dialog box, you can stop the service or restart it if you turned if offbefore.

Solution 2

Apparently, even disabling Error Reporting through theconventional means may not be enough, as VAXenGuy discovered. If you still get error messages afterdisabling Error Reporting, especially dubious ones, you could disable theservice with a Windows Registry edit.

Open the Windows Registry with your favorite editor andnavigate to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PCHealth\ErrorReporting

To disable Error Reporting, make sure all of the values located in this key are set to zero.