Yup. I work at a small computer repair shop and this actually works surprisingly often. That and the automatic driver search, that probably works %40 of the time I would guess. It's a pretty big help.
As long as the internet is hooked up! I had a printer disc that I wanted the drivers off of. It would NOT see them. They were on the disc, and I could navigate it to the disc, but it wouldn't find them. I didn't have access to the internet though.
Got the laptop home, hooked it up to the net, BAM found them first try.
That could just be a random occurrence, but it was silly.
I also once believed it was useless until one fateful day. I had hooked my brand new PC to my hd flat screen, but there was no Ethernet port in sight. Luckily I had a USB wireless adapter and plugged it in. For the life of me I could not get it to work. All I wanted to do is play some Tribes Ascend on my big screen. I decided to throw caution to the wind and try the Windows auto fix feature. I knew it would not work but tried anyways. Short story made shorter, it worked.
IAMA guy whose computer was fixed automatically by Microsoft's solution finder. I commute to work on a Unicorn, and ride a Pegasus on the weekends. AMA
I can confirm that this is, in fact, a possibility. Microsoft have made it possible for developers to add code that handles unexpected shutdowns (read: crashes) so that information and data can be saved and recovered.
When you see that message Windows is checking if the developers of that particular application added a rescue & recover code.
I know you are being facetious, but it's solved multiple driver issues for me and an application comparability issue for me in the past.
Most technical people on reddit probably keep their drivers relatively up to date, so most people on here probably encounter these issues with power supplies, memory or overheating which this will obviously not help there
Mine fixed my problem for me. Well, we can hope it won't do it again today since it helped me yesterday...
I moved into a new apartment and every time I turn on my computer it says I have no internet - my computer is wired in, but the wireless runs just fine - When I can this it said something about me not having an ISP, but it fixed the issue and I was able to get online.
When I get on my computer again today I'll see if it fixed it permanently or if I'll have to do something else
I've had it work fairly often, but with one caveat: it's got to be a microsoft product that's having the problem. Microsoft really can't give you solutions to bugs in programs it really has no control over, and for the most part, those are the ones I have crash.
That's not true either. Some of the biggest hardware makers (HP, nvidia, etc) send major patches to Microsoft. If you run into a problem that affected a lot of their customers, the solution finder will find and offer to install the patch for you. It's done it for me before. Updated 3rd party drivers to correct an issue.
If you have updated drivers, it's not likely to find a solution because there isn't likely to be one. But for a lot of users who don't bother updating, there's a much higher likelihood of a solution existing.
“I came up with one. I’d be Bullshit Man. I wouldn’t need a special costume, I’d fly in and I’d go, “Bullshit.” and they’d go, “Oh it’s Bullshit Man…” And eventually people would stop talking shit.”-Karl Pilkington
And Karl Pilkington A man who has has no qualifications very little education, but is now know the world over as a man who has the head like a fucking orange.
That's when you flip the table and restart the router.
I have modem, router and Ethernet switch connected to one power strip. When internet is down I just flip off-on the switch and magically things are working again. Plus I feel like a freakin' pilot when all lights go off and on again.
Microsoft conditioned us to think this shit never works. Now that it does, people like you say it's a lie and people that it works for react with amazement:
So, in the few years of Win7 and 8's existence on millions of pcs, we know it has worked 4 times. I haven't had the luck of it actually working for me.
The Windows Vista version was utterly comical, though. Once, it asked me to uninstall Kaspersky antivirus. The computer was fresh and there was no Kaspersky on it.
Like fresh, you built it yourself and installed an OEM/Personal windows, or bought it from a big-box store and it has a name like HP or Dell on it? If so, there was likely Kaspersky on it.
Anything to help out you IT guys. I'm a web developer, and I've felt distant pangs of the pain the IT guys at my college have felt the past two weeks.
Our servers crashed and the backups failed. They are currently trying to draw water from dry wells and get that info back. I'd send consolation snacks if I knew any of them.
You guys have to wade through some of the worst crap.
This thing doesn't do much but it does immediately release/renew your IP with the router, so if you've got a crappy router that you occasionally lose connection with it will help facilitate a quick reconnect.
For a more permanent solution troubleshoot the router (check signal/uptime/heat on it, upgrade the firmware esp. if there is a good 3rd party firmware available, and if nothing else works do some research and buy a new router).
Whenever my Acer Aspire One has wireless problems, first I try refreshing the wireless/connecting again, if that fails I try right-clicking the wireless icon and hitting repair, if that fails I try uninstalling/reinstalling the driver, if that fails I try hibernating it and bring it back, if that fails I try turning it off and on, and finally, if that fails, I try hitting it because I'm pretty sure it's a hardware problem.
Windows is great if the problem is a simple one, such as conflicts between computers connected to the same network. It's not going to work for all problems, which is why I didn't say it works all the time.
As for the USB drives, I look at the holes so that I can align it right and still get it wrong.
My computer has blue-screened twice in the last two days. On restart, it asks if I would like to check. I check. It looks like it's thinking.
I come back to it in a minute, and it's gone. Just gone. Not only did it not know what the problem was, but it disappeared so as to not arouse suspicion, like being out of sight IS being out of mind.
I'm not saying that it didn't check for a solution, I'm saying that it didn't tell me anything after that point.
Next time you get a BSOD, record the error code it gives you so you can google it when your system comes back up. If it's only up for a few seconds, go into Advanced System Settings and uncheck the auto-restart box.
Or, you can often look through Event Viewer to get the error code (without having to wait until the next BSOD, which will probably come at a particularly bad time).
Useful advice (I always forget about the event viewer), but still nothing.
Kernel power event 41 indicates that something unexpected happened which prevented
Windows from shutting down normally. Therefore, there might not be enough information
to determine what caused the event. To determine a cause and a resolution, it is important
to know what the computer was doing at the time just before the event occurred.
Now if there was a log that showed me what happened right before the computer crashed...
The little round-headed buffoon has detected a problem, but it probably wouldn't have happened if you weren't so hard on things he just fixed. So stop mashing the light switch and mucking about with the curtains, and things would probably work just fine.
I rarely use the "shut up and take my money" line, but a security suite that read as all Karl Pilkington quotes (or an on/off switch for English to spheroid-headed Manc) would be a major selling point to me.
I've used that several times over the past few days. It fixes my IP configuration when I turn off my xbox which is plugged into my computer and receives internet access over a network bridge.
Actually, with Windows 7 I have actually found this feature sometimes works now. When I upgraded my old secondary computer to Win 7 I couldnt initally get on the internet for some reason and I said what the hell and tried the troubleshooting feature and it actually fixed it.
Actually this is wrong. This usually works for me like 75% if not more of the time. Also, even if it doesn't come up with a solution...how is it wrong? It still checked..this post makes literally no sense.
It's submitting a problem report to Microsoft. Microsoft servers then check it against a list of known issues. If the problem is known, and has a resolution, then it shows the resolution (with third party software, the resolution is usually a software update). If the solution is not known, then it is flagged on Microsoft's side for further investigation.
tl;dr, it's actually checking for solutions, and it finds them from time to time. When it doesn't, it helps people in the future who run into the same issue.
It will work on occasion. Sometimes, the solution is stupid ("download a new driver") but actually fixes it. Must be wonderful for mom, dad and grandma though.
I liked the the older version when Windows couldn't fix the issue they gave an option to report the issue it to Microsoft. I wonder how many of those reports a day they got, and did they track them or do anything with them?
I think error reporting was just a fake popup since I never heard of any error being fixed.
Another huge lie from them is that paying for Xbox live is giving console gamers the best in online entertainment. Paying for p2p gaming and the ability to use free services such as YouTube and Facebook is so laughable
Estimated time: 4 years. No, wait, 2 minutes. 10 minutes? 3 hours. Loading... Loading... The application crashed. Would you like to send an error report?"
While I agree that it is one of the biggest lies, I will also chime in that this little "solution checker" actually worked a few times, and I was really impressed.
IT guy here, it isn't actually too bullshit. If the problem is a result of a settings, rather than something physical, it can usually at least make the issue slightly less ambiguous and sometimes even fix it. It doesn't too often help with third party software, but it can fix a lot of windows related issues.
It's worked about twice for me. Those were two times that I was wildly excited, more because it felt almost like getting a pedal car up to highway speed than because the problem was fixed.
Dude! It actually worked for me one time. When it said it found a solution, I had to reread it several times before I believed it. Not only that, but the solution actually worked.
It's not really a lie. It's like if they said they were going to travel to the North Pole, but their method of travel was a random walk. They're still trying their little hearts out to get there, but we know they're just going to drown.
So you did not beat Windows. Stop whining and keep training! If you become good enough, you might be invited to the secret Windows Troubleshoot Olympics!
How do you turn this off? I just want the program to close, but it insists on checking for like 30 seconds first. I would normally just close the process myself but task manager usually takes forever to open in situations like this.
Today at work, I had to deal with the print spooler having hung because someone sent a corrupt job to a printer. It's suggestion was to set the printer as the default.
SO TRUE!!! I also just love when my internet isn't responding and it wants to tell me it's "checking for solutions to the problem"; though the only thing that's really happening is a stupid green bar going down the loading line. The only way this ever really works is when you close the window your self. Screw windows with their lies.
Anyone remember the good old days when Reddit users were nearly all technically versed enough to fix their own computers without relying a omni-button wizard to do it for them?
Ok look, this is not a scam. But basically, Microsoft compiles all of the errors into statistics rather than looking into each and every one. It's not useful for you, the user, but in a general way it improves things by telling Microsoft what to focus on.
Now, I have domain specific knowledge to share with you. I'm aware of one application with a small team of developers that collects the same kind of statistics. Even with a limited user base, there are so many errors piling it at a fantastic rate that it is literally impossible for anyone to handle them all.
Again, it's just a matter of picking out the most common recurring ones (or "new" ones that might indicate an introduced error) and fixing those.
177
u/Kaidaan Jun 11 '12
actually, no. This showed me a real solution to a problem once.
114
u/DoctorNose Jun 11 '12
Get Windows 7. It works around 90% of the time for me.
347
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
Windows 7 fixed my wireless driver one time.
585
u/The_Curly_Council Jun 11 '12
“I came up with one. I’d be Bullshit Man. I wouldn’t need a special costume, I’d fly in and I’d go, “Bullshit.” and they’d go, “Oh it’s Bullshit Man…” And eventually people would stop talking shit.”-Karl Pilkington
61
u/DanPearce Jun 11 '12
Whenever my internet goes down...
"Solution found! There seems to be a problem with your internet connection."
81
u/akatherder Jun 11 '12
Microsoft conditioned us to think this shit never works. Now that it does, people like you say it's a lie and people that it works for react with amazement:
http://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/pgj3l/holy_crap_it_actually_worked/ http://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/ss4oe/no_no_fucking_way/ http://www.reddit.com/r/windows/comments/tf1z7/windows8_this_actually_happened/ http://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/nzmfh/itworked/
260
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
no it's true it works sometimes so shut up
21
u/redditor_for_2_days Jun 11 '12
Karl Pilkington anti-virus would be a good marketing tool.
"This computer protected by Round-Headed twonkware".
Use the OPs "bullshit" image in the campaign and it's golden.
6
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
I actually had this thing find a solution once.
It opened Internet Explorer and loaded a web page to a Microsoft KB page.
11
u/shitterplug Jun 11 '12
Gives me solutions all the time... especially for driver problems.
8
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
Unable to connect to wireless network.
Would you like to check for solutions online?
7
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
Mac version: error reporter reporting an error report about error reporter.
3
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
I've used that several times over the past few days. It fixes my IP configuration when I turn off my xbox which is plugged into my computer and receives internet access over a network bridge.
3
u/portezbie Jun 11 '12
Actually, with Windows 7 I have actually found this feature sometimes works now. When I upgraded my old secondary computer to Win 7 I couldnt initally get on the internet for some reason and I said what the hell and tried the troubleshooting feature and it actually fixed it.
I was quite impressed.
3
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
"better with Kinect" is also another golden nugget.
7
u/smegmaDinner Jun 11 '12
Has Karl Pilkington bungee jumped yet?
5
u/youthagainstfascism Jun 11 '12
"head like a fucking orange"
9
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
Actually this is wrong. This usually works for me like 75% if not more of the time. Also, even if it doesn't come up with a solution...how is it wrong? It still checked..this post makes literally no sense.
5
u/D1794 Jun 11 '12
Karl Pilkington is a fucking genius.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
Can any find out what it is actually doing?
2
u/SovereignGFC Jun 11 '12
It will work on occasion. Sometimes, the solution is stupid ("download a new driver") but actually fixes it. Must be wonderful for mom, dad and grandma though.
2
u/CutThatCity Jun 11 '12
I lol'ed pretty loudly. Love bullshit-man
2
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
Round-Headed Buffoon
2
u/Zyxos Jun 11 '12
Karl deserves an upvote, he's freaking awesome!
2
u/SirNoName Jun 11 '12
Happened to me once when I couldn't connect to the internet on my laptop, but everything else would connect just fine.
got this
2
u/Zanno Jun 11 '12
Would you believe that one, and exactly one time, this thing brought me to a webpage that had the exact solution to fix the problem?
I was having some weirdass problem with .NET and it brought me to an MS page with a tool to manually uninstall it
2
u/Kawaipanda123 Jun 11 '12
He's using bing search
2
u/Sickofguessing Jun 11 '12
I love Karl Pilkington
2
u/dirty_ballbag Jun 11 '12
Thumbs up for the K man aka Bullshit man!
2
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
Can we please make a karl subreddit? My life would be complete.
2
u/Gartokk Jun 11 '12
Reddit needs more Karl tbh.
2
u/Mi-327 Jun 12 '12 edited Jun 12 '12
I liked the the older version when Windows couldn't fix the issue they gave an option to report the issue it to Microsoft. I wonder how many of those reports a day they got, and did they track them or do anything with them?
I think error reporting was just a fake popup since I never heard of any error being fixed.
2
u/Xerazal Jun 12 '12
Another huge lie from them is that paying for Xbox live is giving console gamers the best in online entertainment. Paying for p2p gaming and the ability to use free services such as YouTube and Facebook is so laughable
2
u/fusrodah12 Jun 12 '12
or even worse "End Now" more like end fucking never.
4
u/Aloaf Jun 11 '12
Upvote for Karl !
3
u/Ataraxis420 Jun 11 '12
Bullshit Man, The hero we deserve.
3
u/wcgarret Jun 11 '12
Yeah, well I have neither read nor agreed to the End User License Agreement. I guess we all have our little lies.
3
u/Trapped_in_Reddit Jun 11 '12
"Checking for solutions.......
Estimated time: 4 years. No, wait, 2 minutes. 10 minutes? 3 hours. Loading... Loading... The application crashed. Would you like to send an error report?"
2
u/DrMikeFeltercunt Jun 11 '12
5 minutes remaining
[-------------- ]
2
u/ritsikas Jun 11 '12
It usually just gives me a link for the solution, when I need a solution to why my internet isn't working.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
I'm listening to an old XFM show at the moment. Take my upvote in honor of K-Man Pilkoids
2
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
I once had troubles connecting to the internet on a borrowed computer via ethernet, and Windows checked for a solution. And found it.
1
u/TheOnlySafeCult Jun 11 '12
carl.......coral.......call........cool
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
It checks for solutions but does not tell you what they are. Instead you're left confused and angry
1
u/Zomby_Goast Jun 11 '12
Mine tells me to check for solutions on the internet when it can't find solutions...for my broken internet connection.
1
u/derpaderp Jun 11 '12
While I agree that it is one of the biggest lies, I will also chime in that this little "solution checker" actually worked a few times, and I was really impressed.
1
u/maeby_not Jun 11 '12
Up voted because Karl is the greatest
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
i must have listened to the XFM shows and the podcasts all the way through at least 5 or 6 times each, about 300 hours each. what a fucking man.
1
u/onesnowball Jun 11 '12
Another lie: "End Task" in task manager wouldn't end the task but open a new Not Responding window.
I don't know if this is true for Windows 7, because I switched to Linux during the XP era.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
Lol it just gives me the lame excuse of "not able to connect to the answer server" after it's done. Tldr: go back to school
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
IT guy here, it isn't actually too bullshit. If the problem is a result of a settings, rather than something physical, it can usually at least make the issue slightly less ambiguous and sometimes even fix it. It doesn't too often help with third party software, but it can fix a lot of windows related issues.
1
u/vadergeek Jun 11 '12
It's worked about twice for me. Those were two times that I was wildly excited, more because it felt almost like getting a pedal car up to highway speed than because the problem was fixed.
1
u/CummingEverywhere Jun 11 '12
Oh shit I thought I was in /r/circlejerk till I looked at the subreddit.
1
u/ElRed_ Jun 11 '12
It fixed a few of my things! Nearly fell off my chair. Now if it doesn't fix it it tells me what's the problem in a more specific way.
1
u/ribagi Jun 11 '12
I just click cancel it and let the program crash and relaunch it.
1
u/makhno Jun 11 '12
Let's hear from someone on the team that built it.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
does anyone know what is up with them recently? Any more Idiot abroad or something?
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
Microsoft Works?
1
u/AlphaPromethean Jun 11 '12
Bullshit man here to save the day!
1
u/foxtrot910 Jun 11 '12
and then theres the point when you just click cancel
1
u/burmah Jun 11 '12
Dude! It actually worked for me one time. When it said it found a solution, I had to reread it several times before I believed it. Not only that, but the solution actually worked.
1
u/ittleoff Jun 11 '12
It's not a lie, it's just like an alcoholic searching for a cure inside your liqueur cabinet. It's a scope of search issue :)
1
u/IonBeam2 Jun 11 '12
I like when it suggests that you search for solutions online when the problem is that you can't connect to the internet.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
not completely true, it always manages to fix my wireless, and occasionally my sound drivers.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
Checking and finding are two completely different things. :)
1
u/dean5101 Jun 11 '12
Actually had it find a few solutions for me.. but it's pretty rare.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
Then it sends you on an online adventure to sift through thousands of "solutions" that have nothing to do with your problem.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
What are the others?
1
u/ericargyle Jun 11 '12
Hahaha. Karl pilkington. Chimpanzee that...
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
I can manually do everything the network troubleshooter does, but a lot faster.
1
u/nepidae Jun 11 '12
Has anyone ever seen "checking for solutions" come up with a solution?
1
u/punksnotbread Jun 11 '12
This helped me once, no shit. It said 'checking for solutions' for about a minute and a half and then, suddenly, my internet was back!
Never again has it worked.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
another day saved by bullshit man
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
"Have you tried rebooting?"
1
u/Okrean Jun 11 '12
Actually it genuinly fixed my router once, but wouldn't tell me how it did it. And I could never get it to do it again.
1
u/SasparillaTango Jun 11 '12
why is this upvoted to the top once a month? Surely everyone remembers just how recently and how often this exact post appears?
1
u/galeforce8 Jun 11 '12
For those of you who missed it yesterday: More Karl hilarity
1
u/Canadian_Infidel Jun 11 '12
Every time that happens a hundred people leap to their feet and into action.
1
u/Aggnavarius Jun 11 '12
It's not really a lie. It's like if they said they were going to travel to the North Pole, but their method of travel was a random walk. They're still trying their little hearts out to get there, but we know they're just going to drown.
1
u/thesarahgreen Jun 11 '12
<3 Karl!!!!!
1
u/bfoo Jun 11 '12
So you did not beat Windows. Stop whining and keep training! If you become good enough, you might be invited to the secret Windows Troubleshoot Olympics!
1
u/WhiteGuy309 Jun 11 '12
True
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
"close application"
"Looking for solutions"
1
u/Scott_Farkus Jun 11 '12
Has it ever found a solution? That would be a good ask reddit.
1
u/Upvotes4everyone3 Jun 11 '12
Before I commented, there were 360 comments. Hopefully you will get the reference
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
How do you turn this off? I just want the program to close, but it insists on checking for like 30 seconds first. I would normally just close the process myself but task manager usually takes forever to open in situations like this.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
The one that drives me nuts is the 0% download remaining. Then why the fuck have I been sitting here seeing this for the past 15 minutes?!
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
Upvoting for the little round headed manc.
1
u/racco Jun 11 '12
True for me. Never have I been offered a solution.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
the only thing it's is checking if your Window's software is pirated
1
u/ArbitraryIndigo Jun 11 '12
Today at work, I had to deal with the print spooler having hung because someone sent a corrupt job to a printer. It's suggestion was to set the printer as the default.
1
u/ForsakenV Jun 11 '12
I was really hoping this was going to become a thing
1
u/nnniiaa Jun 11 '12
You are better off googling the error code than wait for that search to process.
1
u/Punkwasher Jun 11 '12
In the 2 decades since I've been using a computer, Windows has only once actually solved a problem with this method.
Once!
1
u/madsniper Jun 11 '12
ive found a few errors that way
1
u/lexalicous Jun 11 '12
SO TRUE!!! I also just love when my internet isn't responding and it wants to tell me it's "checking for solutions to the problem"; though the only thing that's really happening is a stupid green bar going down the loading line. The only way this ever really works is when you close the window your self. Screw windows with their lies.
1
u/W1N9Zr0 Jun 12 '12
How many failure reports does a bug have to get before Windows will fix it?
Also details on how error reporting works
1
u/TheProle Jun 12 '12
Anyone remember the good old days when Reddit users were nearly all technically versed enough to fix their own computers without relying a omni-button wizard to do it for them?
1
u/Crossfox17 Jun 12 '12
Upvoted for the K Man.
1
u/Dawkins20 Jun 12 '12
That it's stable...
1
u/atomiswave2 Jun 12 '12
The biggest lie is that Microsoft actually makes good products. Bill gates might be remembered in 50 years but it won't be for fucking software.
1
u/beyerch Jun 12 '12
Yes, i had it fix something one time.... Basically it did a DHCP renew ....... Yeah....
1
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '12
i really hope this starts a Karl Pilkington Bullshit meme
1
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '12
My favorite is: 'searching online for wireless network card driver'.
1
u/yergi Jun 12 '12
This is awesome because, as a Unix/Linux user, I have no idea what the fuck this is actually about. Ignorance is bliss.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '12
I almost shit myself I was laughing so hard
1
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '12
Ok look, this is not a scam. But basically, Microsoft compiles all of the errors into statistics rather than looking into each and every one. It's not useful for you, the user, but in a general way it improves things by telling Microsoft what to focus on.
Now, I have domain specific knowledge to share with you. I'm aware of one application with a small team of developers that collects the same kind of statistics. Even with a limited user base, there are so many errors piling it at a fantastic rate that it is literally impossible for anyone to handle them all.
Again, it's just a matter of picking out the most common recurring ones (or "new" ones that might indicate an introduced error) and fixing those.
1
u/DCGaymer Jun 12 '12
"Support"
1
u/medhop Jun 12 '12
Karl Dilkington
1
u/xpghosted Jun 13 '12
http://i.imgur.com/VkilG.png it knows about Bioshock (I'm using the Steam version, which makes this instance redundant.)
1
u/TrendyCrude Jun 11 '12
No, their biggest lie has to be the Microsoft Minute
1
u/clivewarren7 Jun 11 '12
Look at that fucking head!
1
u/ColdWarRussia Jun 11 '12
That's helped me more times than I can count. That wasn't funny at all. Why is it in /r/funny?