New problem solving tools from Microsoft Fix It

Today, computers are such a commodity that most users don't know much about the specifics of their desktop and laptop computers. Any why should they? Even the cheapest PCs today can run almost any business desktop application with ease, excluding maybe those high-end design and graphics software.

However, solving application problems often requires knowledge of the hardware, software and configuration done to the particular computer. Traditionally, this information has been asked directly from the user, but more often than not, the answer is: "I'm not sure".

Luckily, the built-in tools in the operating system are getting better, and I've earlier talked about Windows System Information utility called MSINFO32.EXE, often residing on the path "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MSInfo\msinfo32.exe". This tool can be run by the user, and the results can be exported to a file and shipped to the developer/support person.

However, the information provided by this tool, although useful, is not always enough. Because of this, Microsoft has come up with a new utility, part of the Microsoft Fix It web site. This utility, officially called "Microsoft Product Support Reports" collects tons of information from the remote system, and thus can be very useful in solving customer problems. The tool can be run without installation, but the problem is that administrative rights are required. Also, depending on the amount of information selected to be collected, the tool runs for a good three to six minutes.

Even so, the tool is invaluable, and hasn't been available for long. You can download it here. Separate versions are provided for 32-bit and 64-bit systems.

Remember also, that Windows 7 will also contain new tools. My favorite is the Problem Steps Recorder tool or PSR.EXE. This tool can be used to show to the developer/support person how the application is actually being used before the error occurred.