Dr. Watson: prompting to send error report; pc freezes

Whenever something goes wrong and the Dr. Watson windows pops up prompting to send or not to send error report, the pc freezes. I'm not sure if this is happening after downloading some windows update. I have to press Alt+ctrl+del to bring up the task manager window and from the processes tab I end process drwatson.exe to bring the comp normal again. Is there any fix for this problem,


mario

 

One way to tackle this is to change the way WU operates. Change it to notify you of pending updates and asking permission to download, then asking permission to update. This way it would tie the triggering of dr.watson to WU, then that becames easier to diagnose.

Control Panel > Security Center (SP2 only) > Automatic Updates > tick "Notify me but don't automatically download or install them ".

Regards - Charles

 

mario--I suspect that is not Dr.Watson but rather the IE Error Reporting window that is popping up. You can disable that, but you should remember that Error Reporting is not causing the problem. Rather it is telling you you have a problem.
Might be better to fix the problem.
At the bottom of the Error Reporting window is a link you can click on that might provide some info. If it provides any info, generally it is fairly easy to understand.

For a description of Error Reporting see
How to configure and to use error reporting in Windows XP

That article also has a link to what Dr.Watson does. The info Dr.Watson provides is very complex.

More info on the error, in slightly more comprehensible form than Dr.Watson, is probably available by using Event Viewer.
How to view and manage event logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP

 

I tried a repair installation and before I installed windows updates again I tried it, but still the same problems, Dr.Watson debugger window pops up "Dr.Watson Postmortem debugger encountered a problem and needs to close. etc etc, then I click on Send error report and the computers freezes. I click ALT+CTRL+DEL and from the processess tab I end the process drwtsn32.exe and the comp returns to normal again.

I opened the event viewer window and found this:Event Type: Error
Event Source: Application Error
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1001
Date: 22/07/2005
Time: 07:36:16
User: N/A
Computer: DAD
Description:
Fault bucket 209374440.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 42 75 63 6b 65 74 3a 20 Bucket:
0008: 32 30 39 33 37 34 34 34 20937444
0010: 30 0d 0a 0..

when I click on http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp in the window I get that the file name I assume is at fault is faultrep.dll

 

I have already done sfc /scannow and a repair install with no luck . Now I downloaded the faultrep.dll from the link you gave me and see what happens. Disableing Dr. Watson will be my last resort, anyway it goes I will post, thank you again everybody for all the help you give, regards,


mario

 

a window to inform me that explorer has to close is still popping up then all icons and toolbar dissappear and after a few seconds they are reloaded, (I have disabled Dr.watson) . this is happening now while I am writing this thread. I right clicked My Computer icon on desktop to go to event viewer and happened again.

After a while a managed to get these last two error report from the event viewer maybe these will help somebody anylize my problem

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Application Error
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1000
Date: 23/07/2005
Time: 10:13:45
User: N/A
Computer: DAD
Description:
Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2900.2180, faulting module unknown, version 0.0.0.0, fault address 0x0007fbf6.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 41 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 Applicat
0008: 69 6f 6e 20 46 61 69 6c ion Fail
0010: 75 72 65 20 20 65 78 70 ure exp
0018: 6c 6f 72 65 72 2e 65 78 lorer.ex
0020: 65 20 36 2e 30 2e 32 39 e 6.0.29
0028: 30 30 2e 32 31 38 30 20 00.2180
0030: 69 6e 20 75 6e 6b 6e 6f in unkno
0038: 77 6e 20 30 2e 30 2e 30 wn 0.0.0
0040: 2e 30 20 61 74 20 6f 66 .0 at of
0048: 66 73 65 74 20 30 30 30 fset 000
0050: 37 66 62 66 36 0d 0a 7fbf6..



Event Type: Error
Event Source: Application Error
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1000
Date: 23/07/2005
Time: 12:01:38
User: N/A
Computer: DAD
Description:
Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2900.2180, faulting module user32.dll, version 5.1.2600.2622, fault address 0x0000bc80.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 41 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 Applicat
0008: 69 6f 6e 20 46 61 69 6c ion Fail
0010: 75 72 65 20 20 65 78 70 ure exp
0018: 6c 6f 72 65 72 2e 65 78 lorer.ex
0020: 65 20 36 2e 30 2e 32 39 e 6.0.29
0028: 30 30 2e 32 31 38 30 20 00.2180
0030: 69 6e 20 75 73 65 72 33 in user3
0038: 32 2e 64 6c 6c 20 35 2e 2.dll 5.
0040: 31 2e 32 36 30 30 2e 32 1.2600.2
0048: 36 32 32 20 61 74 20 6f 622 at o
0050: 66 66 73 65 74 20 30 30 ffset 00
0058: 30 30 62 63 38 30 0d 0a 00bc80..

 

I believe that is a Windows Operating System error not Internet Explorer.

Iexplorer.exe is the Internet.

Now. I proved ( a bit STUPID but I did ) this to myself last evening ? I was messing around with Task Manager and thinking " I WONDER. " I did an End Task on Explorer.exe. I lost ALL of my Desktop, Taskbar, Systray etc.

I can not, will not, and should not print the words that came from my mouth. But a Windows Restart fixed. THANK GOD

I believe this will ( does ) require a person with a much higher knowledge than I have.

BillyBob

 

As an added note.

I also lost the background picture. Returning the background to a plain black one.

BillyBob

 

mario

Have you tried system restore to a date before this problem began?

I'm not certain if the repair was done recently?

An alternative is to look into your security and see if you may have an infected machine. What are you using for security?

 

Security ? You mean Anti-Virus Norton 2005 with virus defs up to date and computer scanned regularly, Kerio Firewall, Microsoft antispyware running. Checked disk with Ad-Aware SE 1.06 Pro,Spybot, nothing seems to be wrong but problem still persists

 

Right. You're well covered. Looks like you'll have to do a clean reinstall if the problem bothers you enough.

 

You lucked out. My EXPERIMENT required a Restart. But your problem is SYSTEM releated. Mine was USER related. There may be a lot of difference.

The problem may well continue until you make the proper repairs. Explorer.exe is a VERY impotant file to the OS.

And I have a feeling of " Is it really Explorer.exe that is the problem ?"
Could it be due to one of the other 100's of associated files ?
Could someone ( like the writer of this reply did once ) have gotten a bit too carried away with the DELETE Key ? It required a reintall of 98SE.

Either way it is not a good error message to be getting. And if as you say it is happenning while being in this post it indicates an overall OS problem.

I agree that may well be required. Or at least a repair install.

BillyBob

 

As already said I already did a repair install with no sucess. but now that I made a fresh install everything is OK