Windows Error Reporting

For each of the program compatibility features, a different trigger causes a report to be generated and passed to Windows Error Reporting. Additionally, the user notifications are different for each program compatibility feature:

* Trigger and user notification for the Program Compatibility Wizard: When the wizard is done, it asks whether to send Microsoft a report about the program and the compatibility settings that were selected. You are then presented with the opportunity to view the information in the report and must confirm if the report is to be sent. No informatin is sent automatically (in some cases, even when you say it is okay it might not be sent immediately, and could save it in queue to send later)

* Trigger and user notification for the Compatibility tab in the property sheet for a program: When you change settings on the Compatibility tab and then click the OK button, a report is generated and passed to Windows Error Reporting. The report might not be sent immediately; Windows Error Reporting might save it in a queue and sent it later.

Trigger and user notification for the Program Compatibility Assistant: Two different triggers for the Program Compatibility Assistant exist:

The first is if you run a program that is on a list of known incompatible programs included in Windows Vista. After the Program Compatibility Assistant blocks the program or displays a warning, it offers an option to find online information about the program. If you click the button, the Program Compatibility Assistant will generate a report and send it through the Windows Error Reporting feature. The Web page displayed contains information and/or links that are supposed to help solve the compatibility problem (if you should be so lucky).

The second trigger is fired if you should run a program that fails in a way that is typical of incompatible programs. The Program Compatibility Assistant will pop up and offer you the option of running the program again with recommended compatibility settings. No matter what you answer, a report is generated and passed to Windows Error Reporting.

You may be wondering where this information is being stored. No. Well here it is anyway:

Sysmain.sdb = Information about known incompatible programs (.exe files)
Msimain.sdb = Information about known incompatible Windows installer packages (.msi files)
Drvmain.sdb = Information about known incompatible drivers