winqual.microsoft.com

In Bill's keynote at PDC, he picked out a domain: winqual.microsoft.com.  This is the domain that the Windows crash reports go to when apps die.

Apparently, ISV's can get the reports that are sent to Microsoft.  This means that you can use Microsoft's error reporting system to capture crash reports for your own application, rather than having to roll your own.  To sign up, you'll need a Verisign ID - but anyway, you can view information on this dealy at https://winqual.microsoft.com/default.aspx.

When I read that Microsoft had patented this “phone home” technology (Slashdot), I thought it was a bit odd.  Perhaps Microsoft are trying to drive all error reports through their own systems in order to improve the quality of Windows and don't want apps eating their own error goop.

PS: Incidentially, I just started using FogBUGZ in anger (which I love), and you can integrate your own “phone home” reporting software into FogBUGZ by using a feature of theirs called Scout.  (It's a little hard to find documentation on this, but there are plenty of hits in their forum.)  I'm doing this as part of the work I'm doing to improve .NET 247.

1 Comment

  • There's more to winqual and the "phone home" technology than simply letting MS collect crash data for you - you can specify additional data you need MS to collect to help you diagnose the problem, and when you have a fix available, users who report the problem through the usual dialog can be sent directly to your web page to download the fix. I've hit problems with video driversw and been directed to fixes several times, and the user experience is excellent.



    Also, the Verisign code-signing ID is a one-time cost, you'd use that same ID to sign all your apps.



    --Peter

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