Hi Folks,

Q:
I am now using Windows Vista and before I purchased it, I heard that there was supposed to be something with it called a Health Report. Other than that, I know nothing about it. Can you please fill me in?

A:
Of course I can! This is an excellent question and it is one that will surely help all of you Windows Vista users in a big way. So, if that's you, be sure to listen up!

First, allow me to give you a scenario. You're working on your computer and all the sudden, the program you're using errors out on you. You're unable to do anything, but shut down the application, restart your computer and start over. And yes, this could mean that most of your work goes unsaved. In the midst of everything, there's no explanation as to what actually happened with your program. You have no idea where the error came from or even what it was about. How frustrated would you be if that happened to you? Wouldn't you just be so confused and quite frankly, a little angry? I know I would!

Well, if you're using Windows Vista, you'll never have to worry about that again. Luckily, Microsoft created a new program called the System Health Report that helps track down any errors that may occur within your software or hardware. It is one of the main tools used in Vista to diagnose and troubleshoot those kinds of problems. It even tracks any errors that you may not even be aware of.

So, how does the System Health Report work? Well, once you run the program, it generates a report that tells you exactly what problems lie in your Vista computer system. It tells you what's keeping Vista from running smoothly or safely and it even gives you some suggestions on how to fix some of those problems on your own. Now, even if your computer seems to be fine, it's recommended that you run this application either way. You may be surprised at what it finds. Here's how you can get your own report:

Go to Start, Control Panel and then select the System and Maintenance link. From there, click on Performance Information and Tools. In the left pane, choose the Advanced Tools link and then click on the link that says "Generate a System Health Report," which is located at the bottom of the screen. Then you just have to wait for the process to complete so you can see your report.

Once your report comes up, you will be able to see a list of the following criteria: the status of any critical components on your computer, whether or not the problem has been detected and any possible solutions you can try. If it does offer up some suggestions for you, give those a try first. If they don't fix your problems, you may want to think about either contacting Microsoft or your computer's manufacturer for additional help in getting those problems solved. You definitely don't want to keep them lingering on.

Now, it's also recommended that you turn off your antivirus, anti-spyware, etc. programs before you begin the System Health Report process. You can turn them back on as soon as your report is compiled. Either way, I hope this little tidbit of information saves you from more serious computer issues down the road and not to mention, that frustration and anger you felt earlier. Check it out!

~ Erin

Q:
Do you have any information on the Reliability Monitor in Windows Vista? I think it's something I would be interested in using, but I don't know a lot about it yet. Anything you can tell me would be a big help. Thanks!

A:
As a matter of fact, I do have some information on that and I would be more than happy to share it with all of you! The Reliability Monitor is actually something we like to use quite often on our WorldStart Windows Vista computers. We have found it to be very helpful and we think it's probably one of the best tools that came along with Vista. Now, before I go on and rave about it some more, let me give you some information on it and you can then decide for yourself too. Here we go!

First of all, the main function of the Reliability Monitor is to track down any malfunctions that may be occurring within your Vista computer system. It pinpoints any problems you may be having and it also helps you to fix them right away. Once you run the Reliability Monitor, it gives you a graph of all your software installs, uninstalls and any errors that have been recorded within those programs.

To start the Reliability Monitor application, click on your Start button and in the search box that comes up under that, type in "reliability." Once your results show up, select the option of Reliability and Performance Monitor. Then click on Reliability Monitor.

Once you have that open, you will see your Reliability Index value in the very top right hand corner. That value is set based on how smoothly Vista runs on your computer. It starts at 10, but it can decrease, depending on everything you have on your system. For example, if you try to install some older programs onto your Windows Vista computer, they might end up crashing if they cannot be supported by Vista. If that happens, your value will go down.

Your Reliability Index is updated on a daily basis, which is very convenient. Since it is done that way, you can check your status one day, wait a week or two and then check it again. If some of the same applications or pieces of hardware are causing trouble on a regular basis, you'll know it right away and you can take the next steps in getting them fixed.

So, what if the Reliability Monitor does find a few problems with some of your software or hardware? Well, once you find all of that out, you'll need to troubleshoot them. Then if you're not able to fix them properly, you may have to remove them from your Vista computer completely. Otherwise, your Vista computer will not run at its full capability. And if that happens, you're the only one losing out.

Now, as I said earlier, the Reliability Monitor does try to give you some tips on getting your problems fixed. Whenever it finds a malfunction on your Vista computer, the Reliability Monitor will record the date on which it happened and it will give you examples of the events that led up to the point of when the problem actually started. All of that information will be displayed in the System Stability Chart within the Reliability Monitor application. The errors are then marked with a red circle with a small "x" inside.

Once you get your report, you can go through the list of errors found on your computer and then look back through all the information given to see what might have caused the problems in the first place. For example, if your computer crashed at one time or another, you can go back through your report and see what might have caused it to happen. Often times, things that happened a few days (or even weeks) earlier can be the reason for a persistent problem. And that's exactly what the Reliability Monitor is here to show you.

Go on and check it out. You might be surprised at what's going on inside your Vista computer, even now as we speak. Good luck, my Vista user friends!

~ Erin

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