How to Disable the Visual Notification Option in a 64-bit Version of Windows XP

This article describes how to disable the Visual Notification option in a 64-bit version of Microsoft Windows XP.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To disable the Visual Notification option in a 64-bit version of Windows XP:

1. Register the Dr. Watson tool as your default program debugger. To do this, click Start, click Run, type drwtsn32-i, and then press ENTER.
2. Disable the Visual Notification option. To do this, click Start, click Run, type drwtsn32, and then press ENTER.
3. Click to clear the Visual Notification check box.
4. Click OK.

To make the necessary registry modifications:

1. Click Start, click Run, type: Regedit, and then press ENTER.
2. Go to the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PCHealth\ErrorReporting
3. In this key, set the ShowUI value to 0.
4. In this key, set the DoReport value to 0.
5. Go to the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\AeDebug
6. Set the Auto value to 1.
7. Verify in this key that the debugger has a setting that resembles: drwtsn32 -P %ld -e %ld -g. (This setting should have been set when you registered Dr. Watson as your default program debugger.)

NOTE: The ShowUI value switches the previous and new error messages. The DoReport value determines whether the new message sends a problem report to Microsoft Corporation.

If you want the previous error or exception message, set the ShowUI, DoReport, and AEDebug/Auto values to 0.

NOTE: This procedure can only stop the messages for 64-bit program errors. For additional information about how to disable the 32-bit program User mode exception messages, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: