Microsoft: Fix it For Me Now!

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

Listed below are a few of my favorite fixes for problems I frequently see in the support forums.


Windows Fixes

Enable Windows Firewall

Error message when you use the Windows Update or Microsoft Update Web site to install updates: "0x8007000B"

How do I enable User Account Control in Windows Vista

How do I reset the Windows Update settings?

How to reset Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

Internet Explorer

Ask Toolbar that causes a crash in Windows Internet Explorer 6 and 7

How do I move the Standard toolbar to a location that is above the Address bar in Internet Explorer 7 or Internet Explorer 8?

Reset Internet Explorer settings

Re-Register the Internet Explorer .dll file

Uninstall or remove Internet Explorer 8 - restores your previous version.

Other Examples

Default line spacing and default paragraph spacing in Word 2007 differ from the default spacing in earlier versions of Word

How to move the Windows Taskbar from its default position or reset it to its default position

Reset Windows Media Player Associations

The next time you need a solution for a problem, let Microsoft Fix it for you.



Related Posts: Microsoft FixIt Label


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