Disable Error Reporting in Windows 10: 3 Ways

To disable error reporting in Windows 10, you can use the Registry Editor, the Group Policy Editor (Pro/Enterprise only), or the Services app. The quickest method is to stop and disable the “Windows Error Reporting Service” via Services, which prevents crash reports from being sent to Microsoft.

What Is Windows Error Reporting?

Windows Error Reporting (WER) is a built-in feature that collects diagnostic information when a program crashes or stops responding. It then offers to send that data to Microsoft, where engineers can analyze it to fix bugs in future updates. For most users, the feature runs silently in the background and only pops up when an app fails.

While WER is designed to improve system stability, it can be annoyingâ€”especially if you frequently test unstable software or use older programs that crash often. Some users also have privacy concerns about what data is transmitted, even though Microsoft states it does not intentionally collect personal files or names.

Why Disable It?

There are several legitimate reasons to turn off error reporting:

Reduce pop-ups: Frequent crash dialogs interrupt workflow, especially when using beta or legacy software.
Privacy: You may prefer that crash dumps and memory snapshots not leave your computer.
Performance: On low-end machines, generating and uploading crash reports can consume CPU and network resources.
Administrative control: In managed environments, IT may want to suppress all user-visible error prompts.

However, note that disabling WER does not fix the underlying crashesâ€”it only stops the reporting. If you are troubleshooting a specific application, you might want to keep WER enabled temporarily to help diagnose the issue.

Method 1: Disable via Services (All Editions)

This is the most straightforward method and works on Windows 10 Home, Pro, and Enterprise.

Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
Scroll down to Windows Error Reporting Service.
Right-click it and select Properties.
Set the Startup type to Disabled.
If the service is currently running, click Stop.
Click OK and restart your PC to ensure the change takes effect.

After this, WER will no longer run. If you ever need to re-enable it, follow the same steps and set the startup type back to Manual (the default) or Automatic.

Method 2: Group Policy Editor (Pro/Enterprise)

For Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, the Local Group Policy Editor offers a more granular way to control error reporting without disabling the service entirely.

Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Error Reporting.
Double-click Disabled (the policy named “Disabled”).
Select Enabled, then click OK.

This policy turns off all WER functionality, including the service and any user-facing dialogs. It is a cleaner approach if you want to disable error reporting without touching Services, and it survives feature updates better.

Method 3: Registry Editor (All Editions)

If you prefer the registry or your edition lacks Group Policy, you can disable WER via a registry tweak.

Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting.
If the Windows Error Reporting key does not exist, right-click on Windows, select New > Key, and name it Windows Error Reporting.
Right-click on the new key, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it Disabled.
Double-click Disabled and set its value to 1.
Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Setting Disabled to 1 is equivalent to enabling the Group Policy setting. To revert, change the value back to 0 or delete the DWORD.

What Happens When You Disable It?

After disabling WER, you will no longer see the “Windows has stopped working” dialog when an application crashes. The system will simply close the program or show a generic error message. Crash dumps (files with .dmp extension) will not be generated, and no data will be sent to Microsoft.

One important side effect: some Windows 10 features, such as the Action Center reliability monitor, rely on WER data. If you disable WER, the reliability history may stop recording new events. This is usually acceptable for most users, but if you depend on that data for troubleshooting, consider keeping WER enabled.

Common Problems and Misconceptions

“Disabling WER will speed up my PC.” In most cases, the performance gain is negligible because WER only runs when a crash occurs. If you are not experiencing frequent crashes, disabling it won’t noticeably improve speed.

“WER sends my personal files to Microsoft.” Microsoft states that WER collects limited information about the crash, including the application name, version, and a memory dump of the faulting process. It does not intentionally collect personal documents or browsing history. However, the memory dump may contain fragments of data that were in memory at the time of the crash, which is a privacy consideration for some users.

“I disabled WER but still get error pop-ups.” Some applications have their own error reporting mechanisms (e.g., Adobe, Java, or third-party crash reporters). Disabling Windows Error Reporting does not affect those. You would need to disable each app’s specific reporting feature.

“After a Windows update, WER is back.” Major feature updates (like version 22H2) may reset certain settings, including registry tweaks. If you used the registry method, verify the Disabled value after a big update. The Services method is more persistent because the service startup type is stored separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to disable Windows Error Reporting?

Yes, it is safe. Disabling WER does not affect system stability or security. It only stops the collection and transmission of crash data. Your computer will continue to function normally, and you can re-enable it at any time.

Will disabling WER stop all error messages?

No. You will still see basic error messages like “The program has stopped working” from the application itself or from Windows. What you won’t see is the dialog asking whether you want to send a report to Microsoft.

Can I disable error reporting for a specific app only?

Yes, you can exclude specific applications from WER. In the Registry Editor, under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\ExcludedApplications, create a new DWORD value with the executable name (e.g., notepad.exe) and set its value to 1. This prevents WER from reporting crashes for that app while leaving it enabled for others.

Does disabling WER affect Windows Update?

No, Windows Update is a separate service and is not affected by disabling WER. You will still receive security and feature updates normally.

How do I re-enable error reporting after disabling it?

Simply reverse the method you used. For Services, set the startup type back to Manual and start the service. For Group Policy, set the “Disabled” policy to Not Configured. For Registry, change the Disabled DWORD to 0 or delete it.

Is there a command-line way to disable WER?

Yes, you can use an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell. Run sc config WerSvc start= disabled to disable the service, then sc stop WerSvc to stop it immediately. This is equivalent to the Services method.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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