To disable Windows Error Reporting on Windows 10 or 11, open Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting, create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named Disabled, set its value data to 1, then restart your PC. This stops Windows from automatically collecting crash data and sending diagnostic reports to Microsoft in the background.
Applies to: Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2) | Last updated: May 25, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Windows Error Reporting (WER) sends crash data to Microsoft — disabling it stops the background reporting without breaking any software you actually use
- The registry path is
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting— add a DWORD calledDisabledset to1 - A single
reg addone-liner can apply the change — copy it into an admin Command Prompt or PowerShell instead of clicking through Registry Editor - This is fully reversible — set the value back to
0or delete the entry to re-enable Error Reporting - Winhance can do this with a single toggle alongside dozens of other privacy and telemetry tweaks — no manual registry editing required
Quick Steps
- Press Windows + R, type
regedit, and press Enter - Paste
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reportinginto the Registry Editor address bar and press Enter - Right-click the empty white space in the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value
- Name it
Disabled(capital D), then double-click it and set the value data to1 - Close Registry Editor and restart your PC
What Is Windows Error Reporting and Why Disable It?
Windows Error Reporting (WER) is a built-in service that automatically collects data when a program crashes or hits an unhandled exception, then sends that information back to Microsoft. Microsoft uses these reports to identify patterns across millions of machines and push fixes for common crashes through Windows Update.
In theory that is useful. In practice, a lot of people are not comfortable with their system quietly uploading crash dumps and diagnostic data with limited visibility into what is being sent. From the years I spent on customer machines in my repair shop, this is one of the privacy settings that comes up most often — right alongside Windows telemetry and the advertising ID.
Disabling WER does not break anything. Windows still runs normally, programs still crash if they were going to crash, and the system still writes local crash logs you can inspect with tools like Event Viewer. The only difference is that the crash data stays on your machine instead of being queued and uploaded to Microsoft in the background.
How to Disable Windows Error Reporting via Registry Editor
Step 1: Open Registry Editor
Press Windows + R together to open the Run dialog. Type regedit and press Enter. If a User Account Control prompt appears, click Yes to allow it.
Step 2: Navigate to the Windows Error Reporting Key
Click into the address bar at the top of Registry Editor, paste the path below, and press Enter to jump straight there:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error ReportingThis key exists by default on every modern Windows 10 and Windows 11 installation. If for some reason it is missing, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows, right-click the Windows folder, choose New > Key, and name it Windows Error Reporting.
Step 3: Create the Disabled DWORD Value
With the Windows Error Reporting key selected on the left, right-click anywhere on the empty white space in the right pane and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new entry appears ready to be named. Type Disabled exactly as shown — the D must be capitalised — and press Enter.
Step 4: Set the Value Data to 1
Double-click the new Disabled entry to open the edit dialog. Change the value data from 0 to 1 and click OK. A value of 1 tells Windows to disable the Error Reporting service. To re-enable it later, set it back to 0 or delete the entry entirely.
Step 5: Close Registry Editor and Restart
Close Registry Editor and restart your PC. After the restart, Windows Error Reporting is disabled — no more background crash uploads to Microsoft.
One-Liner: Disable Windows Error Reporting in One Command
If you would rather skip the clicking, the entire change can be done from an admin Command Prompt or PowerShell with a single reg add command. Right-click the Start button, open Terminal (Admin), and run:
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting" /v Disabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /fThe /f flag forces the change without a confirmation prompt, and the command works identically in Command Prompt and PowerShell. To reverse the change, run the same command with /d 0, or remove the value entirely:
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting" /v Disabled /fTip: Restart your PC after running the command. Registry changes affecting Windows services usually take full effect after a reboot, not a sign-out.
Disable Error Reporting (and More) With Winhance
If manually editing the registry is not your thing, or you want to handle a stack of privacy tweaks in one place, I built a free open-source tool called Winhance that exposes settings like this as simple toggles. It covers Error Reporting, telemetry, advertising ID, feedback prompts, Cortana, and a long list of other privacy and performance tweaks — and every toggle shows you what it actually changes before you apply it.
For related registry tweaks that pair well with this one, see my guides on how to disable Windows telemetry, disable automatic feedback sampling, and disable Windows feedback notifications. Together they cover most of the background data collection Windows does by default.
Common Issues and Solutions
The Windows Error Reporting key does not exist
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows, right-click the Windows folder, choose New > Key, and name it Windows Error Reporting. Then create the Disabled DWORD value inside it as described above.
Registry Editor will not open or shows “access denied”
You need to be signed in as an administrator. Right-click the Start button and open Terminal (Admin), then launch regedit from there, or check that your user account has admin privileges under Settings > Accounts > Other users.
The change does not seem to take effect
Make sure you restarted your PC after editing the registry. A sign-out is not enough — the Error Reporting service is started during boot, so it needs a full restart to pick up the new value. Also double-check that the value name is Disabled (not disabled or DisableErrorReporting) and that it lives directly under the Windows Error Reporting key.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does disabling Windows Error Reporting affect performance?
Not in any way you would notice on a modern PC. Windows Error Reporting only activates when a program crashes, so it is not running constantly. Disabling it does remove the background activity that queues and uploads crash reports, which is mostly a privacy and bandwidth benefit rather than a performance one.
Is it safe to edit the registry for this?
Yes. This is a single, well-documented DWORD value under a Microsoft-owned key. As long as you navigate to the exact path and name the value correctly, there is no risk to the rest of the system. If you want extra peace of mind, back up the key first by selecting it, then choosing File > Export in Registry Editor.
Can I re-enable Windows Error Reporting later?
Yes, in a couple of ways. Either go back to the same registry path, double-click the Disabled value, and change it from 1 to 0, or right-click the value and select Delete to remove it entirely. From the command line, run reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting" /v Disabled /f. A restart applies the change.
Does this work on both Windows 10 and Windows 11?
Yes. The registry path and DWORD value are identical on Windows 10 (22H2) and every released build of Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2). I have tested it on machines running all of those versions and the behaviour is the same.
Will disabling error reporting cause any problems?
No. Programs and Windows continue to work exactly as before. The only thing that changes is that crash data is no longer collected and sent to Microsoft. You will not see error reporting prompts or “Windows is checking for a solution to the problem” dialogs, and you will not notice any functional difference in day-to-day use.
If you want to lock down more of Windows in one go, Winhance handles Error Reporting, telemetry, activity history, and most of the other background data collection in a single click — without you having to memorise registry paths.
