Microsoft plans 'black box' for Windows

In a move which could upset privacy advocates, Microsoft has announced that it is adding the PC equivalent of a flight data recorder to the next version of Windows, in an effort to better understand and prevent computer crashes.

The tool will build on the existing Watson error-reporting mechanism in Windows but will provide Microsoft with much deeper information, including listing which programs were running at the time of the error and even specifying the contents of documents that were being created. Businesses will also choose whether they want their own technology managers to receive such data when an employee's machine crashes.

During a speech at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said: "Think of it as a flight data recorder, so that any time there's a problem, that 'black box' is there helping us work together and diagnose what's going on.”

For consumers, the choice of whether to send the data, and how much information to share, will be up to the individual. Although the details are still being finalised, Windows lead product manager, Greg Sullivan, said users will be prompted with a message indicating the information to be sent and giving them the option to alter it - by, for instance, removing the contents of the email they were writing when the machine crashed. Reporting will also be anonymous.

"Our stance on this is that the user is in control," Sullivan said. "In the consumer environment, you will be presented with a dialogue that clearly gives you the choice whether to share the information and then also provides exactly what the detail is so you can parse character by character what's being sent."

With businesses, however, IT managers typically set the policy. If they want total information, they could configure systems so that they know not only that a user was running Internet Explorer, for example, but also that he or she was watching a video from ESPN.com at the time of the crash. Or they might find out that not only was a worker running Instant Messenger but he or she was also talking to a co-worker about getting a new job.

And consumers could have a tough time knowing exactly which information they are sending. Although they'll be able to see the contents of a document, they may not recognise the significance of the technical data (such as register settings) being sent.

Industry analyst Richard Doherty said he doubted Microsoft got enough feedback on how users might feel about such a feature. Even airplane pilots, Doherty said, have been able to keep from having their routine in-flight dialogue preserved. Microsoft's version of the black box, Doherty said "is begging for more real-world testing".

But Sullivan pointed out that businesses can - and some do - already install third-party software to monitor workers' computer usage.

He added that with the present incarnation of Windows, companies have fairly fine control over which crash data they receive and which information gets sent on to Microsoft. With the new black box feature, he said, companies will simply have "more detailed management ability of the reporting infrastructure".

In theory, Microsoft could use the information it does get to identify a problem the first time it appears and push down a patch so that no other user encounters the error. Microsoft currently shares some data with other Windows developers to help them improve their products. However, Sullivan acknowledged that the day when an error crops up once only before being fixed is still a long way off.

"Will we ever get to once? No," Sullivan said, "that will remain the goal."

Microsoft also plans to step up the amount of information Windows users receive when they send an error report to the company. With Windows XP, it has begun sending information back to consumers - although the data tends to be fairly generic. The company is trying to get to a point where it can send back specific details on the problem and how to fix it.

"We're going to take steps toward that," Sullivan said, "it remains to be seen exactly how far down that path we get."