Microsoft: Fix It For Me Now!

[Corrine]

It does not matter how something on a person's computer broke. It could be the result of a malware infection, a conflict with a third-party application, or self-help that backfired. Regardless of the source of the problem, we all want Microsoft to Fix it and to Fix it Now.

Although Microsoft has long provided Knowledge Base articles with detailed instructions for repairing problems such as those mentioned above, the instructions generally involve registry edits -- which is understandably something the average home user generally will shy away from doing.

Along comes Microsoft Fix it, a tool to automate those fixes that you want now, relieving you from worrying about messing up a registry edit that could result in your computer in worse condition than before you attempted the fix.

The Fix it Team has created a wide range of fixes covering problems in Windows, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office programs such as Excel and Word, Outlook, Windows Media Player, Zune and a whole lot more. Many of those fixes are a result of Windows Error Reporting (WER) where people like you and I allow the submission of crash reports to Microsoft. By submitting those reports,  Microsoft Product Support Reports (MPSReports)  is able to analyze the results and fixes for repeated problems are added.

To check that Windows Error Reporting (WER) is enabled, do the following:

Windows Vista:

Click Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Problem Reports and Solutions > Change settings > Advanced settings > Select "Automatically check for solutions".

Windows XP:

Click Start > Right-click My Computer > Properties > Advanced Tab > Error Reporting.

If you are not sure where to start, you can try  Microsoft Automated Troubleshooting Services (Microsoft ATS)  to detect problems on your machine and automatically fix any common problems.

The Fix it Team has provided multiple resources to assist you in locating a Fix it solution:

1.  Fix it for me blog 
2.  Fix it Gadget  (Download link)
3.  Fix it Solutions Page 
4.  Microsoft Fix it Solutions Center 

The next time you need a solution for a problem, let Microsoft Fix it for you.
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Freedomlist.com (March 1, 2000 - 2013)



Take a walk through my Security Garden

[Boz]

It sounds very good. Hopefully, it will actually be good!
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..............

[Corrine]

The fixes are good, Boz. All are tested and the Fix it Team adds new fixes all the time.
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Take a walk through my Security Garden

[techie]

I discovered the Fix it options awhile back, but hadn't had time to review it all.

[Corrine]

Here's another great Fix it: Reset the Hosts File back to default!

The link below takes you to the Fix it solution to reset the hosts file back to the default automatically.

  
 Click to go to the Fix 

• When the page opens, click the Fix it button or link.
  
• Click Run in the File Download dialog box.
  
• Follow the steps in the Fix it wizard.
  

Applies to the following:

Windows 7 Enterprise
Windows 7 Home Basic
Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows 7 Professional
Windows 7 Starter
Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit Edition
Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit Edition
Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition
Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Business 64-bit Edition
Windows Vista Enterprise
Windows Vista Home Basic
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Starter
Windows Vista Ultimate
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Web Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise x64 Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard x64 Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise
Windows Server 2008 Standard
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Freedomlist.com (March 1, 2000 - 2013)



Take a walk through my Security Garden

[guest8z8]

A few weeks ago I was doing basic software maintenance on a friends Vista machine.
He never defragged or loaded anti-virus on the thing and didn't know what Windows Update was all about.
Long story short, after updating his machine, Vista refused to recognize his DVD-ROM drive.
I described the problem using Google and eventually came across an MS Fix-it cure. Needless to
say I was surprised and pleased with the result, having no knowledge before then of this set of MS tools.

[Corrine]

Whew! I'll bet that was a not of updates. Good job.
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Take a walk through my Security Garden

[Corrine]

Reminder: It is not advisable to run beta software on a production computer.

Quote:

Microsoft is testing a new " Fix it Center "--an online and PC-based tool for helping users solve their Windows technical problems. While a fair amount of diagnostics are built into  Windows 7 , the free  Fix it Center  aims to expand on these and also bring similar capabilities to Windows XP and Windows Vista. The service, which went into beta on Thursday, consists of both a Windows download and an online service. "Fix it Center finds and fixes many common PC and device problems automatically," Microsoft said on its Web site. "It also helps prevent new problems by proactively checking for known issues and installing updates. Fix it Center helps to consolidate the many steps of diagnosing and repairing a problem into an automated tool that does the work for you."

Complete report at  Microsoft adds repair shop to Windows | Beyond Binary - CNET News 
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Freedomlist.com (March 1, 2000 - 2013)



Take a walk through my Security Garden

[frapper]

Better make a good disk image before trying this.

[Corrine]

Note: Instead of the c|net download link in the quoted article, I prefer direct download from Microsoft, available from the "Try it Now" button at  http://fixitcenter.support.microsoft.com/Portal/  .
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Freedomlist.com (March 1, 2000 - 2013)



Take a walk through my Security Garden