MS Uses Twitter, Action Center to Resolve Win7 Issues Fast

A large part of the reason Microsoft's Windows 7 promises to be successful is because it won't be all that long before support for the very popular Windows XP ends -- somewhere around 2-3 years from now.

So, how good is support for Windows 7 today?

Microsoft recently took the opportunity to announce some of the best features behind its Windows 7 troubleshooting apparatus. It starts with something called "Action Center," the Redmond-based firm's new technical support system. According to Microsoft general manager of product quality and online support Lori Bronwell, Action Center includes over 20 automatic troubleshooting options designed for access by either the user or the operating system itself when a problem is detected. (Source: computerworld.com)

Action Center: Helpful, Not In-Your-Face

"These troubleshooters can diagnose and solve the most common problems reported by Windows users, including set-up and compatibility issues, hardware defects and the like," Brownell said.

One of the more useful functions of Action Center includes the finding of old files after the upgrade to Windows 7.

"Assuming you didn't completely reformat your drive -- and only a few customers do -- you still have the old folders on the machine," said Ben Bennett, director of Microsoft's Windows consumer global support group. Bennett promises tools like PowerShell, a scripting-based language tool in Windows 7, can help tech support agents show new Windows 7 owners how to find their old data.

Look for MicrosoftHelps on Twitter

Microsoft is even becoming more involved with social networking page Twitter by creating their own account called MicrosoftHelps.

"We're using it more as a routing function," said Paul Aaron, senior group manager for Windows supportability for Microsoft. "We have a team looking for those tweets, and they try to look for answers in the Microsoft support properties. If they can find an answer, they'll do a TinyURL for answers. If not, they'll post the question on behalf of the user on Microsoft Answers."

The idea behind both MicrosoftHelps and Action Center is to get users help as fast as possible, without having to wait for online tech support chat sessions to start. "This is the first time we've been able almost to get real-time help to users. I think we're moving faster than we've ever been able to move before," Bennett boasted. (Source: computerworld.com)

Innovative tech support options will help Microsoft, there's no doubt about that. However, thus far few critics have been able to find much at all to gripe about the new OS -- in fact, many continue to praise its customization options, and the fact that it lowers power usage, extending laptop battery life. (Source: csmonitor.com)