"The Basics"
Three key principles of bug reporting
How to create a OneCare Support Log
How to submit a bug report

"Advanced"
How to attach additional files to a bug report
How to check the status of your bugs
How to update an existing bug
How to take a screenshot
How to build a better bug report
What to do if you can't create a OneCare Support Log

1. Submit a clear, accurate, and detailed bug report. This helps us reproduce and research the problem quickly and efficiently.
2. Submit one problem or issue per report. One problem at a time is easier to reproduce, track, and fix.
3. Attach a Windows Live OneCare support log to each report. We rely on the support logs to troubleshoot problems accurately; we can't accept bug submissions without support logs.

1. Click Start.
2. Click My Computer.
3. Double-click Local Disk (C:). (If you're notified that files are hidden, click Show the contents of this folder.)
4. Browse to the Program Files folder and double-click to open it.
5. Browse to the Microsoft Windows OneCare Live folder and double-click to open it.
6. Double-click OneCareSupport.exe. (Vista users need to right click OneCareSupport.exe and choose Run as Administrator.)
   
7. The application will run for 2-10 minutes and create a zipped file called OneCareSupportData.zip, which will be saved automatically to your Local Disk (C:). Note that your OneCare may go "red" for a short time while the data is being generated. When the application is finished, you'll see this dialog box:
   
8. Note the location of the OneCareSupportData.zip at the bottom of the dialogue box. Normally, the file will be placed at the root directory of your primary hard drive. Click OK to dismiss the dialogue box.
9. Attach the zipped file to your bug report.

What to do if you can't create a OneCare Support Log.

1. Click this link http://connect.microsoft.com/onecare/feedback and sign in with your Microsoft® Passport Network credentials (sign in link will be in upper right).
2. Click Submit Feedback.  Fill in the bug form, if you are unsure of a section there are guidelines below.
3. Click Submit.
4. Click attach files and use the Browse tool to locate and attach your Windows Live OneCare support log and click Submit. Note that we cannot accept bug submissions that don't include a support log.
5. Click Submit. You can now Attach More Files or go Back to Feedback item.
6. The bug submission will update and show the names of the attached files.

1. In the left navigation menu, click Feedback
2. In the Posted by Me field you'll see a list of the bugs you submitted (sorted by title). Click on the title to open the bug.
3. Now you can repeat steps 3-5 above to attach an additional file.
   Note that if you're attaching more than one file, you may want to create a new folder on your computer, place all the files in that folder, then zip the entire folder by right-clicking on it, pointing to Send To..., and clicking Compressed(zipped) Folder. You can now attach this zipped folder to your bug.

HOW TO CHECK THE STATUS OF YOUR BUGS
You should check your bug submissions frequently to see if there's a request for additional information.

1. In the left navigation menu, click Feedback
2. In the Posted by Me field you'll find a listing of the bugs you submitted (sorted by title), Click on the title to open the bug.
3. Comments by the development team will be posted in the Comments field.

HOW TO UPDATE AN EXISTING BUG

1. In the left navigation menu, click Feedback
2. In the Posted by Me field you'll find a listing of the bugs you submitted (sorted by title), Click on the title to open the bug.
3. Using the same tools you used when you originally submitted the bug, you can make any necessary updates.

HOW TO TAKE A SCREENSHOT
A screenshot is a captured image of your computer screen. Including screenshots of the problem you've encountered or the behavior you're trying to explain is an easy way to add value and clarity to your bug description. Here's how to take a screenshot:

1. Reproduce the problem or condition you want to capture in the screenshot. With the problem still on the screen, press the PRINT SCREEN key (this is usually found to the right of the function keys and may be labeled PRT SCR or PrntScrn on some keyboards). Windows will copy an image of your screen to memory.
2. Open up a graphic-editing program, such as Paint (Start, All Programs, Accessories, Paint). Using the Paste function under the Edit menu or using CTRL+V, paste the captured screen image into the blank file.
3. Save this file to your desktop. If your graphics program gives you the option to save it as a certain file type, please save the picture as a .jpg or .gif file to keep the file size to a minimum. You can now attach this file to your bug submission using the guidelines above.

HOW TO BUILD A BETTER BUG REPORT

Accurate and descriptive bug title
An accurate title is very important because it's the first thing the development team sees when reviewing new bug submissions. Try to be as clear as possible without getting overly detailed.

Here are some examples of good bug titles:

MSN Messenger crashes when I add a contact with 100 characters in the name
MSN Explorer displays the incorrect number of e-mails on the toolbar

And here are some examples of bad bug titles:

Messenger Doesn’t work
OneCare IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!

Step-by-step instructions for reproducing the problem
Your bug reports will go to our testers, who may never have seen the issue you’ve encountered. In order to diagnose the problem, we need to be able to reproduce it. Be as detailed as you can when describing how you found the bug. Think carefully about what you were doing when the problem happened, what other programs you were running at the time, and in what order things occurred. Your attention to detail here will help us find the core issue quickly and act on it.

Make the bug report easy to understand
Write your report clearly so that anyone can sit down and reproduce your bug. Avoid using jargon or abbreviated words because the person reading the bug report may not know what you're referring to. If you have difficulty following your own steps for reproducing a bug, chances are we'll find it difficult too.

Report workarounds in the Steps to Reproduce field
If you have a workaround, include step-by-step instructions in your bug report.

Test your bug before submitting it
Do the steps to reproduce your bug result in the same error or bug every time? Did you forget to write down a step? Walking through a bug report before submitting it helps ensure that your report is complete and contains enough information for us to research the problem effectively.

Follow the recommended format
Include a detailed description, numbered reproduction steps, expected results, actual results, and any discussion or comments, including recommendations or workarounds.

Sample bug submission
This is an actual bug report filed during the MSN Messenger Beta. It's a great example of a quality bug submission.

Title
Crying Face emoticon and Disappointed emoticon appear the same in the emoticon dropdown
Description
In the emoticon dropdown in the conversation window of MSN Messenger, the "crying face" emoticon and the "disappointed" emoticon appear to be the same. Hovering over each emoticon reveals the name; however, they are indistinguishable graphically.
System:
Intel P3 900MHz
256MB RAM
60GB Hard Drive– 42GB free space
Windows XP Home with SP 2
1024x768 resolution with 32bit color
See system info attachment for further details.
Repro Steps
1. Sign in to MSN Messenger
2. Open a conversation window to a contact
3. Click on the Emoticon dropdown (Smiley Face) 4. Look at the first two emoticons in the second row of "My Emoticons"
Actual Result
The emoticons look exactly the same.
Expected Result
For each emoticon to be represented by a different graphic.
<Screenshot of the Emoticon dropdown window and MSINFO32 file attached>

WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN'T CREATE A ONECARE SUPPORT LOG
If you're reporting a problem with the installation of Windows Live OneCare, or for some other reason you're unable to create a support log, please include the following with your bug report instead:

Install logs

1. Click Start, then click Run...
2. Type in %programfiles%\Microsoft Windows OneCare Live\Logs Click OK.
3. Press CTRL+A to select all the files in the WinSSTemp folder. Right-click anywhere in the highlighted area, point to Send To, then click Compressed (zipped) Folder. Windows will create a zipped file called Setup.
4. Drag the Setup zipped folder to your desktop.
5. When you're ready to attach files to your bug report, browse to your desktop and attach the zipped Setup folder.

Minidump files

1. Click Start, then click Run...
2. Type in %SystemRoot%\Minidump. Click OK.
   (Note that this folder may be empty, or it may not exist, in which case you may see an error message telling you that Windows cannot find the file.)
3. If files do exist, repeat steps 3-5 under Install logs above to create a zipped file and attach it to your bug report.

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