Across many application and operating-system releases, Windows Error Reporting found a Pareto distribution in which a small number of bugs accounted for most error reports.

Format Online paper / PDF

"Across many application and operating-system releases, Windows Error Reporting found a Pareto distribution in which a small number of bugs accounted for most error reports."

This independently backs the broader small-number-of-recurring-failures argument beyond Sinofsky's memoir account.

Source title Debugging in the (Very) Large: Ten Years of Implementation and Experience

Source authors Galen Hunt; Kirk Glerum; Kinshuman Kinshumann; Steve Greenberg; Gabriel Aul; Vince Orgovan; Greg Nichols; David Grant; Gretchen Loihle

Source year 2009

Confidence high

Importance high