The Microfits Crash Tracker

If you ask Microsoft, Windows is a stable program. If you ask anyone else, it belongs in a stable. But the question is, how often does your system actually crash? And why chance wrist strain writing down the incidents, to find out?

What is It?

The Microfits Crash Tracker is a small program you add to your Startup folder. You never see it, it just quietly runs in the background, adding entries to a text file you can examine any time you want to find out how the Redmond Beast's flagship product has been behaving.

The Crash Tracker keeps track of reboots that occur without a normal Windows shutdown -- like from system lockups. If you need to hit the reset button, or power button, or do a three-finger salute to restart Windows, the Crash Tracker will log it.

New report file created Thursday, September 02, 1999, at 11:45 AM. Windows was started on Tuesday, September 07, 1999, at 8:50 AM.   It crashed, and was restarted on Tuesday, September 07, 1999, at 10:32 AM. Windows was started on Tuesday, September 07, 1999, at 4:04 PM.   It crashed, and was restarted on Wednesday, September 08, 1999, at 8:24 AM. Windows was started on Wednesday, September 08, 1999, at 8:24 AM.   It crashed, and was restarted on Wednesday, September 08, 1999, at 2:25 PM. Windows was started on Monday, September 13, 1999, at 8:37 AM.   It crashed, and was restarted on Monday, September 13, 1999, at 1:05 PM. Windows was started on Monday, September 13, 1999, at 1:05 PM.   It crashed, and was restarted on Tuesday, September 14, 1999, at 8:27 AM. A real report on my PC, from September 2 to 14. Now you know why I get microfits??

What's Required to Run It?

This program has been tested on and found to work on Windows 95 and Windows 98. If it works on anything else, I'd like to know.

It's directed at folk who know how to download, install, and remove simple ZIP'd freeware or shareware from the Internet, and know how to create or delete folders, shortcuts, and/or files without making Windows mess itself.

Obligations

You probably know the drill now with these kind of things. I really use this program on my production computers (ones I use every day that I make a living with), meaning I'd be, er, "bugged" if it caused problems. So obviously, I wouldn't be releasing it if I thought it wouldn't work properly or be useful, but:

1. I can't guarantee this program will work on your computer, or even work correctly. I mean, if Microsoft doesn't promise their own programs won't destroy your stuff when installed under their own operating system, how can I offer more for my own product? So here's the ...

   Microfits Paragraph of Warning
   If you feel Cosmic Forces may Align to cause anything from Curious Alterations through Apocalyptic Destruction with your System, Programs, and/or Files due to your loading my program on it, either be Smart and make Backups of your Important Stuff first so you can recover from the damage, or don't Install my program at all.

2. The Microfits Crash Tracker is (c) 1999, SJS Web Hack. There is no charge for its use. You may redistribute the .ZIP file, or all of the files in the .ZIP file.

3. If this program breaks or its documentation is wrong, I'm sorry, and I'll try to fix it, but due to the way life and computers work, I can't promise anything, or I may never be able to get around to it, or even get it right when I do.

How to Download and Install It

1. Download this file:    CRASHTRK.ZIP    (240 kb)

2. Unzip it into a new directory or folder (so it doesn't get mixed in with other files, and makes it easier to remove if you don't want to use it anymore). CRASHTRK.DOC contains a list of files used/created by the program.

3. Add a shortcut to CRASHTRK.EXE under the Start, Programs, Startup folder. This will make the program run whenever you start Windows.

4. Click on this shortcut now to start the program without having to restart Windows. (You don't have to do this step again, it'll start automatically from here on out.) You won't see anything, the program just starts invisibly.

5. Look at the file CRASHLOG.TXT (it's in the same location where CRASHTRK.EXE lives) whenever you want to see how many times Windows has crashed. (You can delete this file if you start running out of hard disk space from the numerous entries. The program will just start a new log file.)

6. The program only writes to and deletes its own files. It writes files only in the directory where crashtrk.exe lives. It doesn't do anything with Windows directories or registries.

7. Email me with any problems, comments, or suggestions.

8. That's it!

How to Remove It

1. Remove the shortcut to CRASHTRK.EXE from your Startup folder. It's still running in memory, so either wait until the next time you restart Windows (or it crashes), or restart Windows now, before continuing.

2. Delete the program and its files from the folder you installed it in (see CRASHTRK.DOC for a complete list). Then delete the folder if it's empty.

3. That's it!

And Remember: Windows represents the technology and quality Microsoft wants to put in all of your appliances!