Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Microsoft Ramps Up "Fix it" Support Tool

Posted by kdawson on from the pretty-please dept.

CWmike writes "Microsoft has ramped up its new Windows support assistant 'Fix it for me' nearly three months after it quietly released the automatic repair and configuration tool. The upgrade adds a 'Fix it' button to some of the support documents that Microsoft posts to its Knowledge Base. The blog introducing the changes lists some of the Knowledge Base documents that boast the 'Fix it' button, including one that prevents users from connecting a USB storage device — useful in protecting against one of the infection vectors of the 'Downadup' worm. Have ideas for the tool? In a forum on the 'WinVistaClub' Web site, someone who said he was part of the 'Fix it' team at Microsoft encouraged users to send feedback on the feature to the group at fixit4me@microsoft.com."

13 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. What happens.... by Logical+Zebra · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What happens when the "fix it tool" itself breaks?

    --
    I have a bad feeling about this...
    1. Re:What happens.... by Anonymous+Cowbell · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That presupposes that the Fix It tool will work in the first place

      Ever tried to use the Repair option in MS Office? I've used it on dozens of installs, and it has never once repaired a GD thing

    2. Re:What happens.... by im_thatoneguy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Why pick on office.

      I've never once had an install repair utility fix ANY program EVER.

    3. Re:What happens.... by kjb542 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Then you click on the "Fuck It" tool, which surreptitiously installs Linux....

    4. Re:What happens.... by An+ominous+Cow+art · · Score: 5, Funny

      That reminds me of a message we'd occasionally get in the early 90s working with either FoxPro or FoxBase:

      "Error 201 while attempting to report Error 201"

      (I don't know whether 201 was the actual number anymore)

  2. But.. by linal · · Score: 5, Funny

    But Jim has already fixed it for me.

    1. Re:But.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Surely this would have been better to explain the joke?

  3. Seems exploitable by Dyinobal · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This seems rather exploitable, I wonder how long before we have viruses that hijack this application when an infected user tries to use it. They are better off with a good online knowledge base for common problems than some 'fix it for me' tool. Education is the key to solving the most common issues. I remember removing a number of viruses and spyware from this one ladies computer. She would then promptly go back and download the 'games' that gave her the viruses in the first place. Great for income, not so great when the customers accuses of you not fixing a problem the first time around. More times than not I feel like I should be working on the user instead of the PC. I guess all this goes back to the teach a man to fish analogy.

  4. get hacking, guys! by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 5, Funny

    This seems like a great thing to try to hack. 5 bucks to the first one who gets the "Fix It" button to download and fire up an Ubuntu installer.

    --
    This guy's the limit!
  5. Zen by dazedNconfuzed · · Score: 5, Interesting

    the 'Fix it' button, including one that prevents users from connecting a USB storage device -- useful in protecting against one of the infection vectors of the 'Downadup' worm.

    Funny, something I just sent a co-worker fits this.

    "Everything, from people to rocks, axiomatically has a basic nature to what it does, what it just tends to do and how. I find life is much simpler and more pleasant when I recognize what that is, and interact on it/he/she/they on it's own terms and in its own way. This G-D net-nanny [or, in TFA's case, "Fix It" disabling functionality] stuff is just another example of what screws up human existence: instead of facilitating things happening, it stands in the way and interferes in obtuse ways."

    The problem isn't people attaching USB storage devices, it's that OS design flaws allow for malicious misuse. Of course, M$'s "Fix It" solution is to kill the messenger, not fix the "yeah I'll do anything you say" OS - and we all know what kind of annoyance, headaches, breakage and new infection vectors will follow as a result.

    --
    Can we get a "-1 Wrong" moderation option?
  6. As my family's support guy..... by Samschnooks · · Score: 5, Insightful
    none of them even Google on how to fix a problem.(I know why should they when they got me.) I talked to a family friend about issues with her computer. She took it to Best Buy and didn't like the way they sounded ($79 to diagnose the problem and then more to fix. The $79 was to be put towards any fixes that may arise. They gave the creeps.), so I talked to her.

    The problem with her computer was between the chair and the keyboard. Anyway, to shorten the story, I asked her if she's ever Googled for answer to her problems or looked at the manual. Nope.

    Folks like that who would actually benefit from something like that will never come across it because they don't even think of searching the net for a solution; let alone of actually reading the manual and following the trouble shooting guide in the back.

    People like us, tech savy, will never trust a script like that from MS.

    This is doomed to fail.

  7. Next Logical Step by NonUniqueNickname · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can we get a "Don't break this for me" checkbox instead?

  8. Could be useful... by Facegarden · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I've always thought it was strange how KB articles can get to have some really complicated actions, yet they can't just give you a script to do what they're telling you to do. That would be really helpful.

    Here's an example of something i saw the other day:

    1. Insert the CD into the CD drive or DVD drive.
          2. Click Start, and then click Run.
          3. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
          4. At the command prompt, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each command:

                expand CD-ROM Drive Letter:\i386\config.nt_ c:\windows\system32\config.nt
                expand CD-ROM Drive Letter:\i386\autoexec.nt_ c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt
                expand CD-ROM Drive Letter:\i386\command.co_ c:\windows\system32\command.com
                exit
          5. Start or install the program. If the issue is resolved, do not complete the remaining steps. If the issue is not resolved, go to the next step.
          6. Note: The Command.com file is not edited or created in the following process. Because of this, you may have to expand it from your Windows XP CD-ROM.

                Start Notepad.
          7. In Notepad, type the following entries:

                      dos=high, umb
                device=%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\himem.sys
                files=40

          8. On the File menu, click Save As.
          9. In the File Name box, type Config.nt, and then click Save. Close the Config.nt file.
        10. On the File menu, click New.
        11. In the new blank document, type the following entries:

                @echo off
                        lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\mscdexnt.exe
                        lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\redir
                        lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\dosx
                        SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3

        12. On the File menu, click Save As.
        13. In the File Name box, type Autoexec.nt, and then click Save. Close the Autoexec.nt file.
        14. Start Windows Explorer. Locate the Config.nt file, right-click the Config.nt file, and then click Copy.
        15. Right-click the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 folder, and then click Paste.
        16. Locate the Autoexec.nt file, right-click the Autoexec.nt file, and then click Copy.
        17. Right-click the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 folder, and then click Paste.
        18. Locate the Command.com file, right-click the expanded Command.com file, and then click Copy.
        19. Right-click the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 folder, and then click Paste. Restart your computer.

    If the issue continues to occur, copy the Autoexec.nt and Config.nt files from the Repair folder in Windows to the System folder. To do so, follow these steps:

          1. Click Start, click Run, type c:\windows\repair, and then click OK.
          2. Right-click Autoexec.nt, and then click Copy.
          3. Click Start, click Run, type c:\windows\system32, and then click OK.
          4. Right-click anywhere in that folder, and then click Paste.
          5. Right-click the Autoexec.nt file that you just copied, and then click Properties.
          6. Click to select Read-Only, and then click OK.
          7. Repeat steps 1 through 6 to copy the Config.nt file.

    Note You must enable Read-Only permissions or the files will be removed after you restart Windows.

    They can't just give me a script to run? It's simple for me to do all that, but time consuming and annoying.
    -Taylor

    --
    Worldwide Military budgets: $2100 billion. Worldwide Space Exploration budgets: $38 billion. Really, world? Really?