Windows 7 Beta Customer Experience Improvement Program Fix Available

Microsoft has fixed a bug in the Windows 7 Beta feedback infrastructure, which caused various applications running on top of the operating system to crash. The Redmond company acknowledged the presence of the bug initially reported by Chris123nt as an issue with the Customer Experience Improvement Program, namely the Software Quality Metrics SQM) client. At the time this article was being written the software giant had already made available a fix for the problem through the Action Center component of Windows 7 Beta Build 7000.

“Microsoft deployed a configuration change, which exposed this (installer) problem. New machines installing Windows 7 Beta will not experience this problem. An issue related to the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP also known as SQM) client in the Windows 7 Beta is causing crashes of Explorer, MSI-based installers and other applications. In order to resolve the issue, impacted customers need to run the following script from an elevated command prompt. This script will stop crashes related to CEIP, and removes those changes (registry keys) to prevent further CEIP related crashes,” the company revealed. (via Mary Jo Foley)

Microsoft uses the Customer Experience Improvement Program to harvest feedback and data usage for the first Beta of Windows 7. The tester input is invaluable to the company, as it is in fact used in order to perfect the operating system, in the evolution from the Beta to the Release Candidate stage. Following the introduction of the update via Action Center, users of Windows 7 Beta will no longer experience issues with Windows Explorer and MSI installers crashing.

Here are the “Detailed instructions [for fixing the CEIP bug]:

1. Select and copy the following to your clipboard:

reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SQMClient\Windows\DisabledSessions /va /fr

2. Click on 'Start,' then 'All Programs,' then 'Accessories;'

3. Right click on 'Command Prompt,' then click on 'Run as administrator;'

4. In the UAC prompt, verify that the program’s name is 'Windows Command Processor,' and then click 'Yes;'

5. Right click on the 'Administrator: Command Prompt' window’s black area, then select 'Paste;'

6. Press 'Enter,' you should see 'The operation completed successfully.'

If you see 'ERROR: Access is denied,' please make sure you followed Step 3;

7. Close the 'Administrator: Command Prompt window.'”

Windows 7 Beta is available for download here.

Update: correction made, thanks Picsoe.