Lincoln Computer Club Forum

[divingbrit]

Microsoft quietly launched a beta version of the Fix it Center late last week. The service, which has about 300 fixes already built in (with more to come), is designed to help users diagnose and troubleshoot problems with their Windows PCs.

It finds and fixes "many common PC and device problems automatically" and "helps prevent new problems by proactively checking for known issues and installing updates," according to Microsoft. The words "automatically" and "proactively" are the key ones here: the Fix it Center consolidates the many steps of diagnosing and repairing a problem into just a few clicks.

Fix it gives you the option to "Find and fix" or to "Find and report." Even if it cannot solve a specific issue, a Microsoft Support professional (contacted via phone, e-mail, or chat) can access your Fix it Center account and get details about the hardware, the problem, and the solutions you have already tried.

The Fix it Center builds on the diagnostics already offered in Windows 7, bringing an expanded offering to all operating systems still supported by Redmond. The client version is available for Windows XP SP3, Windows XP Pro (64-bit) SP2, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2. Users also have the option to sign up for the "Fix it Center Online" during the setup so they can manage all their computers from a single location via various customized settings and options (the company is promoting this especially for SMBs).

Microsoft launched the Fix It brand last year, and so far has been using it primarily on KB articles. The Fix it link offers a quick way to change a setting or apply a tweak that either mitigates a security issue or fixes a bug. Now the company is expanding that effort so that users can use the tool at any point to fix common issues.

source: arstechnica.com