what info sent ms bug reporting feedback

In Vista on the desktop is the feedback link and there's also a feedback tool like program I guess you can use. The same goes for bug reporting which I guess is slightly different then using that feedback link? With bug reporting you also get to use a bug report tool. What info is sent to MS other then the information you put in yourself? Does it send your Vista Key or hardware ID like from Activation or the specs of your pc etc?

That information no one can answer only the team that implemented that part of the program. No matter what anyone says, you will never know. It might be the information you send, and/or all the information about your pc.

"AMDX2" wrote in message

In Vista on the desktop is the feedback link and there's also a feedback tool like program I guess you can use. The same goes for bug reporting which I guess is slightly different then using that feedback link? With bug reporting you also get to use a bug report tool. What info is sent to MS other then the information you put in yourself? Does it send your Vista Key or hardware ID like from Activation or the specs of your pc etc?

All that goes, is application data regarding the operating system, the product ID (to see whether it's a genuine copy or not, but they can't do anything really with that - just know that theres a non-genuine copy around and about), as well as data about crashes such as if the Control Panel crashes, it'll try and get the crash data from that.
They get sent whatever you attach as well (screenshots etc.), and the data that you fill out from the main bug report window. They also record the IP from which the report has come from - this will either be a unique IP from your computer or from the ISP itself. But they do have a strong privacy policy regarding it.
They don't actually collect personal data really - they just want the bug report :o)
-- Zack Whittaker » ZackNET Enterprises: www.zacknet.co.uk » MSBlog on ResDev: www.msblog.org » Vista Knowledge Base: www.vistabase.co.uk » This mailing is provided "as is" with no warranties, and confers no rights. All opinions expressed are those of myself unless stated so, and not of my employer, best friend, Ghandi, my mother or my cat. Glad we cleared that up!
--: Original message follows :-- "Sean Thompson" wrote in message

That information no one can answer only the team that implemented that part of the program. No matter what anyone says, you will never know. It might be the information you send, and/or all the information about your pc.

"AMDX2" wrote in message In Vista on the desktop is the feedback link and there's also a feedback tool like program I guess you can use. The same goes for bug reporting which I guess is slightly different then using that feedback link? With bug reporting you also get to use a bug report tool. What info is sent to MS other then the information you put in yourself? Does it send your Vista Key or hardware ID like from Activation or the specs of your pc etc?

That is too much personal data already, your ip, your product ID etc. I would think all they'd collect is the relevant info to what you are posting and also the system hardware specs like what you have, but nothing to identify you or your connection or whatever.
"Zack Whittaker" wrote in message

All that goes, is application data regarding the operating system, the product ID (to see whether it's a genuine copy or not, but they can't do anything really with that - just know that theres a non-genuine copy around and about), as well as data about crashes such as if the Control Panel crashes, it'll try and get the crash data from that.
They get sent whatever you attach as well (screenshots etc.), and the data that you fill out from the main bug report window. They also record the IP from which the report has come from - this will either be a unique IP from your computer or from the ISP itself. But they do have a strong privacy policy regarding it.
They don't actually collect personal data really - they just want the bug report :o)
-- Zack Whittaker » ZackNET Enterprises: www.zacknet.co.uk » MSBlog on ResDev: www.msblog.org » Vista Knowledge Base: www.vistabase.co.uk » This mailing is provided "as is" with no warranties, and confers no rights. All opinions expressed are those of myself unless stated so, and not of my employer, best friend, Ghandi, my mother or my cat. Glad we cleared that up!
--: Original message follows :-- "Sean Thompson" wrote in message That information no one can answer only the team that implemented that part of the program. No matter what anyone says, you will never know. It might be the information you send, and/or all the information about your pc.

"AMDX2" wrote in message In Vista on the desktop is the feedback link and there's also a feedback tool like program I guess you can use. The same goes for bug reporting which I guess is slightly different then using that feedback link? With bug reporting you also get to use a bug report tool. What info is sent to MS other then the information you put in yourself? Does it send your Vista Key or hardware ID like from Activation or the specs of your pc etc?

Hardware information, program data, no personal information, so don't expect things like your IE Cache to be sent. -- -- Andre Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
"AMDX2" wrote in message

In Vista on the desktop is the feedback link and there's also a feedback tool like program I guess you can use. The same goes for bug reporting which I guess is slightly different then using that feedback link? With bug reporting you also get to use a bug report tool. What info is sent to MS other then the information you put in yourself? Does it send your Vista Key or hardware ID like from Activation or the specs of your pc etc?

That is the difference between Microsoft and OpenSource (eg, Linux) products.
The truth is no one knows. Sure you will get everyone's opinions, but no one knows.
Assume they take all information with the exception of your personal documents. (eg, Word documents, Excel etc, etc).
But no one can answer that question for you here, because no body knows.

"AMDX2" wrote in message

In Vista on the desktop is the feedback link and there's also a feedback tool like program I guess you can use. The same goes for bug reporting which I guess is slightly different then using that feedback link? With bug reporting you also get to use a bug report tool. What info is sent to MS other then the information you put in yourself? Does it send your Vista Key or hardware ID like from Activation or the specs of your pc etc?

That is the difference between Microsoft and OpenSource (eg, Linux) products. [...] Assume they take all information with the exception of your personal documents.

Between Microsoft taking all my information and Open Source Product X taking all my information, I'd rather trust Microsoft.
If I know both are taking my information, what does having the source provide me with?

The relative certainty that you know what information is being recorded/transmitted. I guess there is a benefit in "trusting" Microsoft because should something go awry you would actually have an entity to sue.
"Homer J. Simpson" wrote in message

If I know both are taking my information, what does having the source provide me with?

Homer.
The point that I was trying to make, is with the open source products, you and I are able to determine what information is been sent. Just look at the source code. (We might not approve of what information is been sent but we CAN answer the original question) With Microsoft products, No one person here can answer the "Original question" which was "What info is sent to MS from bug reporting and feedback?".


"Homer J. Simpson" wrote in message

That is the difference between Microsoft and OpenSource (eg, Linux) products. [...] Assume they take all information with the exception of your personal documents.
Between Microsoft taking all my information and Open Source Product X taking all my information, I'd rather trust Microsoft.
If I know both are taking my information, what does having the source provide me with?

Homer.
The point that I was trying to make, is with the open source products, you and I are able to determine what information is been sent. Just look at the source code. (We might not approve of what information is been sent but we CAN answer the original question) With Microsoft products, No one person here can answer the "Original question" which was "What info is sent to MS from bug reporting and feedback?".

(IMNSHO) I think it's safe to assume that even with an open source project, if your crash reporting infrastructure is designed to upload a raw dump of a chunk of memory, the odds are not zero that at some point or another you'll be (maybe inadvertantly) transmitting bits and pieces of data that you might prefer not to see being sent. That being said, I'd rather have Microsoft getting that data and going out of its way to keep that data private than some rinky-dink open source project with little to no resources to spend on securing its infrastructure.
It's all about accountability. To that end, providing me with the source still does not assure me in any way that personal information is not inadvertantly shared.

So we still cant answer the original question then!
"Homer J. Simpson" wrote in message

Homer.
The point that I was trying to make, is with the open source products, you and I are able to determine what information is been sent. Just look at the source code. (We might not approve of what information is been sent but we CAN answer the original question) With Microsoft products, No one person here can answer the "Original question" which was "What info is sent to MS from bug reporting and feedback?".
(IMNSHO) I think it's safe to assume that even with an open source project, if your crash reporting infrastructure is designed to upload a raw dump of a chunk of memory, the odds are not zero that at some point or another you'll be (maybe inadvertantly) transmitting bits and pieces of data that you might prefer not to see being sent. That being said, I'd rather have Microsoft getting that data and going out of its way to keep that data private than some rinky-dink open source project with little to no resources to spend on securing its infrastructure.
It's all about accountability. To that end, providing me with the source still does not assure me in any way that personal information is not inadvertantly shared.

So we still cant answer the original question then!

That's pretty much the idea. I'm sure the code is *designed* to only pick up what's essential to figure out the reasons for a crash, but there's no way anybody can guarantee *exactly* what bits of information end up in a crash dump--even when you do have the source.
My whole point was that if it's possible at all that personally identifiable data gets sent to anyone, I'd feel much safer knowing it's someone with Microsoft's resources that's responsible for securing that data and not share it with third parties.
And let's give Microsoft credit here...given their history and current competition, it's in their best interest to take security and privacy seriously nowadays. There's no doubt in my mind that the code isn't designed to pick up any personal data just "because they can"--conspiracy believers be damned.

Sean Thompson wrote:

Homer.
The point that I was trying to make, is with the open source products, you and I are able to determine what information is been sent. Just look at the source code. (We might not approve of what information is been sent but we CAN answer the original question) With Microsoft products, No one person here can answer the "Original question" which was "What info is sent to MS from bug reporting and feedback?".


"Homer J. Simpson" wrote in message That is the difference between Microsoft and OpenSource (eg, Linux) products. [...] Assume they take all information with the exception of your personal documents. Between Microsoft taking all my information and Open Source Product X taking all my information, I'd rather trust Microsoft.
If I know both are taking my information, what does having the source provide me with?

I think that if MS is going to send information from your computer to their servers, that the user at least is entitled to full disclosure of what the exact information being sent is. I would agree that the product key and IP are personal pieces of information that should not be sent with out the user's knowledge and permission.
http://www.xp-antispy.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=40
If the FOSS gives the user full disclosure, then I would tend to trust it more. Think for yourselves people, don't let big, rich greedy corporations do your thinking for you about what information they get on you from YOUR computer!
-- One who fart in church sit in own pew.