If you are using Internet Explorer, Outlook, or any Application, you can get Dr .Watson Postmortem Debugger error. You can also observe drwtsn32.exe process running in the task manager. This program crashes when other applications gets crashed.
What is Dr.Watson? Is this a Virus?
Dr.Watson for Windows is a debugger that will be useful to debug and creates log files when an error occurs within a program. Technical support people will analyze these log files and fix the errors. It is not a virus or a malware program. Dr.Watson creates log files at C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Dr Watson.
Fix to “ Windows Explorer has encountered a Problem and needs to Close”
It actually crashes some times frequently and gives the error as given below.
“Dr.Watson Postmortem Debugger has encountered a problems and needs to close”
Why Dr.Watson crashes and gives an error?
Unfortunately, when you are browsing through Internet Explorer or working with any other program, if that program crashes, then Dr.Watson program itself crashes and gives that error.
Do I really need this program?
No, not really, in fact Windows Error Reporting service also does the same as Dr.Watson, as you know you can send error reports to Microsoft through Windows Error Reporting also.
Fix 21 Common Problems in Windows 7 with 7 Quick Fix 1.0
What’s the Fix?
The fix to this problem is disabling Dr.Watson as we have the alternative Windows Error Reporting available, we don’t require Dr.Watson.
Disabling Dr.Watson
1. Click Start > Run > type Regedit and click OK.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version
3. Select AeDebug in the right pane, double click it and enter a value ‘0’.
4. Close the registry editor and restart your computer.
You won’t get this error again in future.
If you have problems in accessing the registry, download the registry file released by Microsoft and run it.
7 Ways to Fix ”Registry editing has been disabled by Your administrator “
Have you ever got Dr.Watson error? How you’ve solved it, so that it doesn’t appear again? Share with us in the comments.
Update 08/08/2011 : Microsoft has released a Fix It tool to disable and enable Dr.Watson Postmertem Debugger
I got the error message always when i opened a folder with larger video files: dr watson has encountered.. Thanks to venkat, the download worked, debuger does not start and crash.
@Anonymous
I am glad that article helped you to fix the error,you are welcome here I hope you will stay on this blog for long time.
wow..thanks..the download link in the comment "http://download.microsoft.com/download/7/5/1/751c3454-ffc4-418a-8320-51066f4ee4ce/DisableDrWatson.reg" WORKED. thank you for the solution and great blog.
@sirfallsirs
I am glad you fixed that problem this error seems to be getting common so all users should be know the solution to that. Thanks for stopping by I hope u stay on my blog for more useful posts.Keep coming .
sorry but i am having the same problem and due to that i am not able to access anything. When i try to open regedit in run/start menu my whole OS crashes.
I have the same problem that Eric posted on April 24, 2009. Like Eric said, any ideas?
I seemed to be able to disable Dr. Watson ok however now I get a window that says
Explorer.EXE-Application Error
The instruction at "series of numbers/letters"referenced memory at "series of numbers/letters". The memory could not be "read".
Click OK to terminate program
Then when I click OK I get
Error
Runtime error 216 at series of numbers/letters
I can only close this by going to task manager and when I do the first window pops up again so I'm stuck. Each time the numbers and letters are different.
The only way I can run is in safe mode.
Any ideas
Thanks
I have this issue as well. When I turn on my laptop, I get the explorer error first. I click dont send and then the Dr Watson error. I have any additional issue that I do not have anything that shows up in my taskbar. No Start button, no taskbar icons, no clock. After these error messages are gone I cannot click on any of the program icons on the desktop. My only option seems to be is using task manager. If I go to File, then New Task (run) then browse, all I get is locked up with the hour glass and then my task manager is not responding so I have to shut it down. Any thoughts on this mess? lol Thanks!
I am having the same problem as Andrea is there any solution on how to fix this?
When my computer boots up the DrWatson Postmortem Debugger has encountered an error box pops up. I can send the report, but the box reappears. I can't click on the start menu or even tab away to use the keyboard. I've crtl-alt-del, but the same thing happens. I've also done the system restore to no avail.
How can I fix this, if I can't do anything?
thanks ypu very much for telling how to solve the DrWatson Postmortem.
I did thesuggested DrWatson fix, but no changes. Now I get
Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
@Anonymous
Check this article http://computersservicing.blogspot.com/2010/01/fix-to-windows-explorer-has-encountered.html
Dr. Watson is a debugger and it triggers when an eror occurs in some program. Turning off the debugger or disabling it is not the solution. If it is disabled, it won’t inform you that the error has occured…we should be able to know solve the problem that is encountered by Dr. Watson debugger…someone please comment
Hey Umar just read the full article and comment , as u said it will crash when other application crashes, we have already Windows Error reporting service available which reports for errors make sure you enabled that service and disabling Dr.Watson will help this way.Dr.watson has nothing to do it is also jsut like Windows Error reporting service.
Where do this Dr. Watson thing come from?How did it get into my computer?
Duncan it will comes along with Windows like Windows Error reporting, disabling Dr.Watson does no harm to your Computer.Windows error reporting service will alert you when critical errors do occur.
We noticed that the Windows debugger program, Dr. Watson, seems to be configured differently between XP 32 & 64 bit. I believe that Dr. Watson popped up when a user experienced an Alias issue. This only happened on 32 bit. On 64 bit the same error was experienced but Dr. Watson did not popup. Can someone help us understand why Dr. Watson would behave differently on 32 & 64 bit systems?
Will let you know If I know about it ,since most users use 32-bit systems including me too.
When i go to run and regedit there is no title on the right hand side as mentioned. My debugger thing only comes up when i am trying to print something?
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;308538
This link will help you to understand Dr watson debugger…
wow! this is a help!…thanks a lot thanks! for this blog. actually there are many times that i got problems in my pc….THANKS!
Brilliant article. I found it very useful………
now the rubbish error doesn’t appear anymore……
my sincere thanks to VENKAT…….
guys its not working for me as registry edit file is not at all opening in my pc plz.. help i would be very thankful to u all.
wow thanks for the information about the dr. watsons debugger i hope that it can help me to fix our computer . thanks !
i have the same problem but when i open any programe or application the drwatson errors appears sorry this does not worked…. please write another solution which can solve my problem …….
excellent.. i solved my problem in a few minute thnxx…
workable
hi, ihave a problem i was playing Dragon nest SEA (a high memory requiring online game) then the game crashed and DrWatson Posmortem Debugger keeps on crashing and sending me nonstop “DrWatson Postmortem Debugger has encountered a problen and needs to close.” I cant open any application :( only mozilla please help~
why it did not work in me when i click Start>Run>Type Regedit it did not show me the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version
I followed instructions but still the same? its driving me mad please help someone.
I am facing memory dump issue on my laptop , some times during working it shows blue screen and restarts. When i try to scan it by using my mcafee it restarts every time during scan (after 1hr).
I tried to scan it in safe mode .it agin enountered problems and this time it shows following errors.Can you help in this regard.
“DrWatson Postmortem Debugger has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.”
when i click debug then following msg appear
D:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\WERec26.dir00\drwtsn32.exe.mdmp
D:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\WERec26.dir00\appcompat.txt
when i check error report it shows
“error signature
EventType : BEX P1 : drwtsn32.exe P2 : 5.1.2600.0 P3 : 3b7d84a2
P4 : dbghelp.dll P5 : 5.1.2600.5512 P6 : 4802a0b2 P7 : 0001295d
P8 : c0000409 P9 : 00000000 “
One more thing when i checked registry file as you told .It is already zero there,
THANK YOU YOU SOLVED MY PROBLEM REALLY I WAS FED UP WITH THAT ERROR YOU STOPPED THAT ERROR FROM MY PC THANKS A LOT AGAIN
when i want to open MyComputer or MyDocuments sometimes it shows the error as “DrWatson Postmortem Debugger has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.”
I had gone through the steps given above but in my task manager there is no process running like drwtsn32.exe also there is no “AeDebug” in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version
Thank,Im working as malware researcher,this error we use to get for sample analysis.So the way to Disabling Dr.Watson Error is very very usefull for me and its gud..Thanks..
You’re welcome
I have this error come up when i turn my computer on, and it doesnt let me bring up the start menu or do anything, i left it for hours last night and it doesnt do anything, the only thing i can do is turn it off again ? now what ?????
Works greate. Thanks a lot
You’re welcome Raj.
Hi Venkat
thank you for that solution you put , Dr.Watson Error disappeared but there is another problem appear >> “Windows Explorer has encountered a Problem and needs to Close ”
my system get hanged after that message & i don’t know what i do !
i can’t expolre any partition inside My Computer except Drive C .
even the link you put for this problem & it’s solution doesn’t works properly with me .
https://techdows.com/2010/01/fix-to-windows-explorer-has-encountered.html
what i do with ” Windows Explorer has encountered a Problem and needs to Close ” !
:(
yes its is need full for me . thanks.
Hi thr. I have the same problem with DrWatson popping up everytime. It totally slows down my pc and I can hardly do anything. I tried the instructions, I got to typing in “regedit” bt then nothing happens. Is there anything else I can do. Pls help, I need this fixed asap. *Thanx
Download and install the fix http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9749533, your problem will be solved.
Thanks a lot problem solved……
You’re welcome Pradeep.
Hi sir, I have a problem with DrWatson popping up every now and then. I tried running ‘regedit’ through ‘Run’, but nothing happens. The task manager also does not open. I downloaded the ‘Fix It’ file and tried to run it, but it doesnt open and the same DrWatson error appears.. I can hardly do anything. I opened ‘drwtson32’ through ‘Run’ and unchecked all the boxes… Still the error persists. Please help.
First make sure you can able to open Registry Editor and Task Manager,if you can’t try the below links then I suggest you to use registry file or fix it.
https://techdows.com/2009/04/7-ways-to-fix-registry-editing-has-been.html
https://techdows.com/2009/04/7-ways-to-fix-task-manager-has-been.html
Thanks to venkat. I have fixed the problem and error didn’t come.
When I open games it never launch and nothing happens, the only thing i can do is to access mozila. even turning off the computer DrWatson debugger says something. please help me. I did your instruction but when i click OK nothing happens. Please help me.. Also your links are broken.
Which links are broken? Registry file and Fix it links are just working fine, use either of them to fix Dr Watson error.
its says server not found. :(
Seems you’ve problems with your network, try to download Fix it from another computer, save to USB drive and run on yours. Hope it helps.
Regedit disabled task manager disabled BC of this Dr Watson what to do
Try the fix mentioned in this article: https://techdows.com/2009/04/7-ways-to-fix-registry-editing-has-been.html
Hii, In my case I not able to do anything because of DrWatson error. Even as your suggestion when I open the RUN and type the Regedit nothing apper and DrWatson error massage come and hang the system. Please help me.
Please run this fix it, which also mentioned in the article http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9749533
As soon as I start my PC ….when I log in … At the home this error is displayed and my cursor can’t touch anything but don’t send or send error report…..my PC is not connected to internet so I click don’t send . As soon as it closes , it pops up again. Help me!
Have you tried running the fix? Download the fix to another computer, copy it to USB drive and run it from your computer.