Should you inform Microsoft about Windows 10 bugs?

No firm is capable of designing software that is entirely free from bugs – at least, not yet. Microsoft can only do so much to iron out issues in its operating system code, setup or interface. Bugs are always out there.

Well, many people are continuously testing out things and searching for inconsistencies or holes in Windows. Not all of them are top-level security researchers; some are regular users interested in the bounty program, which Microsoft launched to encourage individuals to find bugs in its products.

In recent times, Microsoft has gone a step further in its attempts to learn about issues affecting its operating system. For one, the firm implored users to bookmark the Windows 10 update history page. People are now allowed to give their thoughts or ideas on the one-stop page, which has been set up to hold major bugs, blocks, and broken updates.

Microsoft efforts are all understandable, though. Considering the events associated with the release of Windows 10 Version 1809 – specifically, the reports on the updates destroying or deleting users’ files – Microsoft had little choice but to make additional commitments to providing quality improvements in Windows 10. The firm, subsequently, promised to get in touch with users and businesses through clear and concise means.

Is there any use in informing Microsoft about update bugs?

If you came across a bug on Windows, then there is a reasonable chance that other users have also encountered it. Therefore, you might opt against telling Microsoft about it. Most people often believe that other users should have sent the necessary reports.

If the bug is widespread, then your proactiveness (or lack thereof) is likely to be negligible in the grand scheme of things – the issue will end up being resolved without regard to you sending a report about the bug or not.

On the other hand, if the bug plaguing your device is obscure or if it manifests itself exclusively on specific configurations (or under special conditions), then your report is likely to carry more weight than usual.

We know that most people would rather bear the issue and wait for the problem to fix itself. However, since you are here, we believe that you are considering taking a more active approach to bugs and related shortcomings on Windows.

Your description of the problem might go a long way in assisting Microsoft engineers to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

You probably do not know how to go about making reports on bugs. We will now walk you through the standard procedures involved in getting Microsoft to learn about issues in Windows.

How to contact Microsoft about bugs

If your computer is running Windows 10 (the latest operating system version from Microsoft), you will find it easy to tell the firm about the problems you run into while using your device. Furthermore, you will be able to provide their developers with suggestions on improving the operating system.

The recently introduced Feedback Hub app makes everything a breeze. It was once available only to members of the Windows Insider program. Well, Microsoft did well to open it up to all categories of users with the release of the Windows 10 Creators Update (and newer builds or iterations of Windows).

If you are sure that the Feedback Hub program is currently not available on the Windows on your computer, then you must open the Microsoft Store program, locate the app in view, and then download and install it.

We advise that you do not pay too much notice to the reviews in the Microsoft Store. The vast majority of users who enjoyed using the app are unlikely to sit down and provide reviews, anyway. Moreover, the complaints about the Feedback Hub program constitute some form of backlash – especially those from people who just prefer to go through a webpage to tell Microsoft about bugs (since this is the method they are used to), instead of having to do things through an app.

The Feedback Hub program distractors might be on to something, though. For one, to use the app, you have to set your Diagnostic and Usage Data to Full first, and this change is a turn-off for many users. A considerable number of people are trying to find ways by which they get to give fewer data to big tech firms, and this request goes against everything they are fighting for as regards privacy. Hence, the concern here is a valid one.

Well, assuming you are fine with letting Microsoft get a bit more information about your stuff (or if you have made up your mind already), you can follow these instructions to make the necessary change to your diagnostic data setting:

• First, you have to get the Settings application window up. You can execute this operation quickly using this keyboard shortcut: Windows logo button + Letter I key
• Click on Privacy. On the following screen, you must go through the options listed close to the left -pane area of the window. Locate Diagnostics and Feedback, and then click on it.
• Assuming you are on the Diagnostics and Feedback menu (on the right pane), you should see the available options.

Click on the radio button for Full to select it (if Basic is currently in use).

If you followed our instructions correctly, then everything should be good to go as regards the Feedback Hub application.

Now, we must move on to the operations involved in reporting a bug.

• Here, you have to launch the Feedback Hub program.

Press the Windows logo button on your PC’s keyboard. The programs and options that make up the Windows Start menu screen should be visible by now.

Type feedback into the search field (that appears once you begin to type). We believe that Feedback Hub (Trusted Microsoft Store app) has emerged as the main item on the results list. Click on it.

• With the application window coming up, you should end up on the Welcome page. You should see the What’s new section where recent announcements for Windows and preview builds get profiled.

Now, before you move on to submit a report, you will do well to search and confirm that the issue you are trying to tell Microsoft about has not yet been reported. Type in the appropriate keywords relating to your problem into the text bar at the top.

Go through the results that come up. If the search operation fails to yield relevant results or if the returned reports are about problems that differ from what you encountered, then you are free to go ahead and click on the Add New feedback button.

You can also do the same thing by clicking on the Report a problem button, which is usually situated on the homepage. Consider this path an alternative method – it should come in handy in cases where the previous procedure ends up being a failure.

At this stage, we have to furnish you with essential tips, which users are supposed to take note of while they engage in bug detecting and reporting activities.

• You will do well to make your title clear and concise. Ensure that it is as descriptive as possible (without you making redundant statements). This way, other users are likely to find your report for the problem, which means it will end up getting many upvotes. Visibility is key here.
• Try to provide information about what you were doing at the time you came across or noticed the problem. State the operations you were executing or the tasks you were working on.
• We advise that you submit one report for a specific problem. If you encountered multiple or distinct issues, you are better off creating individual reports for each one.
• Well, you have to fill in the field for Summarize your feedback with the appropriate text and move on to do the same thing for the Explain in more detail (optional) field.
• Once you finish typing up the needed words, you must click on the Next button.
• On your current page, you have to choose a specific parameter through its radio button and select the appropriate options in the drop-down menus for different categories that define the problem you are dealing with currently.
• Once you are done making the correct choices, you have to click on the Next button.

You will end up on the final page where there are additional options you can take advantage of to provide more information about the issue. Note that the operations accessible on that page are optional. You can proceed to finalize and submit your report without doing anything there.

Here, you can do things like this:

• Attach a screenshot: Using this option, you get to browse for pictures or image files of the screenshots you took to describe the problem. If you made a screenshot recently, then you can use the CTRL + V shortcut to paste the file from your clipboard quickly.

We recommend that you capture images of the popup boxes, error codes, or boxes describing the problem.

• Attach a file: With this option, files get embedded with your bug report or feedback. For example, if you obtained log files containing evidence or a description of the problem, then this option will prove incredibly useful.
• Recreate the problem: This intuitive option provides the framework by which you get to show Microsoft the problem the exact way it manifests itself on your device. It lets you capture a recording of the issue.

You have to initiate the capture operation, and the problem recorder will act to capture screenshots of the steps you take during the recreation process for the issue, and then you will move on to attach the recording to your problem report.

Note: Telemetry data about the category the problem belongs to can be added this way.

Now, you are as close to the actual feedback submitting stage as you can be.

• Once you are done using the additional options (or if you decided not to work with them at all), you have to click on the Submit button. You have finished.

Other things to note

Besides working on reports for problems affecting Windows through the Feedback Hub, you can provide input on features or ideas that are likely to improve Windows. Microsoft is always open to hearing fascinating ideas. The same rules or guidelines apply here too.

If you have something, you will do well to check and confirm that nobody else has dropped a similar idea or suggestion. If you have verified that the conditions are right, you have to click on the Suggest a Feature button (on the Feedback Hub homepage) to begin your journey.

The feedback suggestion process is almost the same as the stages you go through while making problem reports. The only significant difference comes up in the Category section, where the flag indicates a suggestion instead of a problem. Well, you should be able to follow the same steps we provided earlier (for reporting bugs or issues) and attach stuff like screenshots, relevant files, and recordings. Your intuition might help you fill in simple gaps (if they appear).

Besides the method that requires you to do things through the Feedback Hub program, there are other ways of getting Microsoft to know about the problem you are facing.

If the issue you encountered is really basic, then you might prefer to discuss things over with Microsoft’s Chatbot (accessed through the Gethelp app on Windows). The bot is designed to provide users with answers, using some decent AI.

Depending on the complexity of the issue or the seriousness of the matter you are dealing with, you might have to consider getting assistance from the regular installation support level, designated technicians or even up to the specialist engineer fields. In other words, whatever the problem you seek to report or resolve might be, you should be able to get some form of help from the right source, and this is what really matters.

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