Hardware & Computers

In order to ensure that the OS (operating system) of Windows is running smoothly, it uses numerous utilities. Several years back, when Windows encountered errors, it will automatically shut down. If you have unsaved data, you will lose them all and aside from that, you will also get cryptic messages like 'illegal operation'. In this article, you will learn about Dr. Watson - this is a utility used by Windows to detect errors and at the same time, decode them. What are Dr. Watson errors?

This detection utility will then send a detailed report to Microsoft so that the errors can be reviewed. Windows will automatically shut down a certain offending program while other programs are running. You will not be able to encounter the blank blue screen. The reports generated by the detection utility are fairly technical and if you frequently encounter Dr. Watson errors, you can get useful information about it too.

You can locate the error log of the Dr. Watson errors by going to 'documents and settings'. Click 'all users', then 'application data'. Click 'Microsoft' and then the folder of 'Dr. Watson'. Find log file or files named user.dmp or drwtsn32.log.

Double click the file and then open it through WordPad or Notepad. You can find a chronological list of all the errors there. The heading tells the particular program which crashed, the error, date, time, and exception number.

Each of the error found on the list have process identifier or PID. It correlates with the process in the task list of Windows. Suppose a crash occurred. All the running tasks will be automatically numbered. For instance the PID is 242. Find the item and you will be able to see the task list.

The exception code and the data you find in the task list are vital especially when you're already in the troubleshooting process. You can find more information about the different error codes online, particularly the website of the manufacturer. This is your key to identify possible solutions.

With the Dr. Watson utility, you will see a dialog box which will inform you that an error occurred and it will shut down. There is a button there that you can click to get a detailed info on the matter. These details are the same as those found in the error log. If you want, you can also send the report yourself to Microsoft.

When an error occurs, Dr. Watson automatically kicks in but you can also opt to start it manually. Click 'start' and then choose 'run'. Type these letters - drwatson or if you're using Windows 2000 or NT, you should type drwtsn32. The presence of Dr. Watson is indicated by an icon on the task bar. When you click the icon and it says 'no faults detected', then there are no errors. You will eventually know if there are errors because the dialog box will open.

Thanks to Dr. Watson, you will not lose many of your valuable data since only the offending program is shut down. With the information provided by Dr. Watson, you can easily troubleshoot certain errors. This can ensure proper functioning of the computer and the system will also run smoother.

You will no longer have problems related to Dr. Watson errors through the detection utility. Make use of the utility and enjoy better computer performance.

Get a Free scan on your system , and correct any PC errors instantly today.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - What Are Dr Watson Errors?