You can configure error reporting by using standard methods for unattended or remote installation. The [PCHealth] section of an answer file is the section in which to place the entries for this feature. The following table describes those entries.
Entries for configuring error reporting in an answer file (for unattended installation)
Entry Description
ER_Display_UI Specifies whether Setup notifies the user that an error has occurred and shows details about the error. When the entry is ER_Display_UI = 0, Setup does not notify the user that an error has occurred.
ER_Enable_Applications ER_Include_EXE(n) and
ER_Exclude_EXE(n)
ER_Enable_Applications = All
Reports errors for all applications except for those listed in ER_Exclude_EXE(n).
ER_Enable_Applications = Listed
Reports errors only for those applications listed in ER_Include_EXE(n). You can automatically include Microsoft applications by using ER_Include_MSApps.
ER_Enable_Applications = None Reports no application errors.
Examples of entries that list included applications are:
ER_Include_EXE1 = iexplore.exe ER_Include_EXE2 = explorer.exe
Examples of entries that list excluded applications are:
ER_Exclude_EXE1 = calc.exe ER_Exclude_EXE2 = notepad.exe
ER_Enable_Kernel Errors Specifies whether Windows reports errors in the Windows kernel. When the entry is ER_Enable_Kernel Errors = 0, Windows does not report errors in the Windows kernel.
ER_Enable_Reporting Specifies whether Windows automatically reports errors. When the entry is ER_Enable_Reporting = 0, Windows does not report errors.
ER_Enable_Windows_
Components
Specifies whether to report errors in Windows components. When the entry is ER_Enable_Windows_Components = 0, Windows does not report errors in Windows components. To exclude individual Windows components, use
ER_Exclude_EXE(n), as described earlier in this table.
ER_Force_Queue_Mode Specifies whether to send all reports in queue mode. When the entry is ER_Force_Queue_Mode = 0, Windows does not send reports in queue mode.
ER_Include_MSApps Specifies whether to track and report errors in Microsoft applications. When the entry is ER_Include_MSApps = 0, errors in Microsoft applications are not tracked and reported.
ER_Include_Shutdown_ Errs Specifies whether to report shutdown errors. When the entry is ER_Include_Shutdown_Errs = 0, shutdown errors are not reported.
For complete details about the entries for error reporting, see the resources listed in Appendix A,
"Resources for learning about automated installation and deployment." Be sure to review the information in the Deploy.chm file (whose location is provided in that appendix).
Using Group Policy
To enable Corporate Error Reporting it is recommended you perform these steps:
• Configure the Error Reporting policy settings in Group Policy so that error reports go to a server on your intranet.
• Use the Corporate Error Reporting tool to filter reports.
It is recommended you enable error reporting through Group Policy because then you can override actions users may take, and you can redirect error reports to a server on your intranet instead of to the Internet. Once you have initiated Corporate Error Reporting, you can use this tool to manage error reports.
In addition to the Error Reporting policy settings, this subsection also includes a list of the Advanced Error Reporting policy settings you may want to use for additional configuration options.
Using Error Reporting policy settings
To configure clients for Corporate Error Reporting you need first to enable the Report Errors policy setting. Once you enable this policy setting, you can enter a file path to a server on your intranet, limit data that is exchanged on the Internet when errors are reported, control how users interact with the Error Reporting service, and take other steps to control information.
For details about locating the error reporting policy settings, see "Procedures for configuring error reporting" later in this section. The following table describes the settings.
Group Policy settings for configuring error reporting
Policy setting What it does Configuration options
Report Errors (enabled) Errors are reported to Microsoft through the Internet or to a server on your intranet.
Enabling Report Errors will override any settings made using Control Panel for error reporting. Default values will be used for any error reporting settings that are not configured, even if settings were adjusted through Control Panel.
Can select:
• Do not display links to any Microsoft provided "more information" Web sites
• Do not collect additional files
• Do not collect additional computer data
• Force queue mode for
application errors
Can enter:
• Corporate file path
• Replace instances of the word "Microsoft" with Report Errors (disabled) Users will not be given the option to report
errors. If Display Error Notification is enabled, users will still get a message indicating that a problem occurred, but they will not have the option to report it. Disabling Report Errors is useful for servers that do not have interactive users.
Not applicable
Report Errors (not configured)
Users will be able to adjust the setting using Control Panel, which is set to "enable reporting" by default on Windows XP.
Not applicable
Display Error Notification (enabled)
This setting controls whether or not a user is given the choice to report an error. When enabled, the user will be notified that an error has occurred and will be given access to details about the error.
Not applicable
Display Error Notification (disabled)
The user is not given the choice of whether to report the error. If Report Errors is enabled, the error will be automatically reported, but the user will not be notified that an error has occurred. Disabling this setting is useful for servers that do not have interactive users.
(Default setting for servers.)
Not applicable
Display Error Notification (not configured)
The user will be able to adjust the setting through Control Panel, which is set to enable notification by default.
Not applicable
To find more information about the Group Policy Object Editor, see Appendix B, "Resources for learning about Group Policy."
Using Advanced Error Reporting policy settings
When you enable error reporting you can choose to specify the types of errors that are reported. In a highly managed environment administrators might want to do this based on the kinds of information included in the error report (see "Types of data collected" in the previous subsection). Whether or not you use this option might depend on whether you allow users, or have administrators, send error reports to Microsoft.
For details about locating the error reporting settings, see "Procedures for configuring error reporting" later in this section. With Advanced Error Reporting you can configure the following policy settings:
• Default application reporting settings
• List of applications to always report errors for
• List of applications to never report errors for
• Report operating system errors
• Report unplanned shutdown events
When you configure these policy settings they will override any adjustments to error reporting users might make through Control Panel.
To find more information about the Group Policy Object Editor, see Appendix B, "Resources for learning about Group Policy."