How to Read Blue Screen Dump Files
How to Use a Minidump File to Fix Your Windows BSOD
It finally happened. Out of the blue, you're enjoying a game, watching a movie, or just reading on the cyberspace, when your operating arrangement decides it doesn't want to cooperate and suddenly you're facing down a BSOD or Blue Screen of Expiry. A BSOD is something that no Windows user wants to encounter, because it ways that your system has crashed, costing you lot time and perhaps even resulting in data loss.
Perhaps the worst thing nearly getting a Bluish Screen of Expiry is that it could be the issue of whatsoever number of issues, from a faulty piece of hardware to a driver fault to having a folio error in a not-paged area (a result of a file not being found in memory). However, all isn't lost and nosotros're going to bear witness you how to enable and use a minidump log file to diagnose the trouble.
Why You Demand a Minidump File to Diagnose Your BSOD
In earlier versions of Windows, the BSOD showed you lot some error codes that were at least a little bit helpful. Still, in Windows 10, the screen gives you a cease lawmaking you tin write downwards and enquiry and a QR code you tin can use with your phone. However, this only sends yous to the Microsoft website and provides a description of sure error codes.
What we observe useful is configuring Windows to save a file that contains lots of information regarding the BSOD and how we can go about fixing the mistake. This is called a minidump file.
How to Configure Windows to Save a Minidump File.
Past default, the option to create a minidump file is not enabled so you'll demand to turn it on. Do this now, even if you don't have a BSOD trouble, because otherwise you won't have a log when the crash happens.
ane. Navigate to the System Properties Command Console menu. You can get there past typing "sysdm.cpl" into the Windows search box. Or by going to Settings->System->About and clicking Advanced system settings.
2. Select the Advanced tab.
three. Enable the following options:
● Write an upshot to the system log
● Automatically restart
● Writing debugging information -> Small memory dump (256kb).
With this enabled, whenever Windows crashes, the minidump file will be created under "%SystemRoot%\Minidump". You can also change this location if you lot cull to. Nonetheless, if you do, go along in mind that most programs to troubleshoot the minidump logs are set to look for this location by default. And then information technology'due south best to leave it as information technology is. This also translates to C:\Windows\Minidump.
How to Read the Minidump, See What Caused Your BSOD
Now that the minidump is configured, you'll demand to download an application that tin read the file and provide useful information. A tool chosen BlueScreenView comes recommended for doing just this.
You can download BlueScreenView by going to the official website and selecting either the 32-bit or 64-fleck version of the application.
After downloading the tool, you'll need to extract it to a location, then it can exist run.
In one case the tool is extracted to a directory, double click the "BlueScreenView" icon to get started. BlueScreenView will then look at the default minidump location and volition look through the electric current logs that have been created. If you've experienced a number of problems or haven't removed older minidump files, you'll demand to exist mindful of the dates associated with the logs.
Using BlueScreenView to Understand Minidump Files
When you first use BlueScreenView, it will provide you lot with several pieces of information and at kickoff, it may seem confusing. However, the format is straightforward and information technology does highlight the important information to get you started.
The files or applications that caused the crash will be highlighted in cherry-red, giving y'all a proficient idea of where to start correcting the consequence.
In this screenshot, we tin can run across that on this specific minidump, there was an upshot detected that affected three files; dxgmms2.sys, ntoskrnl.exe and watchdog.sys.
Further on the upper panel, we can meet in the right column that there'southward a section that tells us what acquired the crash. In this image, we can come across that the watchdog.sys caused the problem. This is a skillful starting point as yous can now cheque Google or Bing, to see how this could become a problem and possible solutions.
We know that watchdog.sys is the potential cause, but what about dxgmms2.sys and ntoskrnel.exe? As those were the affected files, nosotros need to find out what those are also. So those will also need to exist looked into. Doing a quick check on Google, we can encounter that dxgmms2.sys is related to the Windows DirectX drivers, while ntoskrnl.exe is the operating system kernel executable - responsible for keeping the operating system running.
Using this view of the Windows minidump file, we can deduce that the BSOD was probable caused past a graphics commuter issue, which can typically be corrected by installing a newer version of the commuter or reinstalling the current commuter.
What If The Minidump File Shows A Hardware Fault?
While driver issues are usually easily stock-still, a BSOD that is a outcome of failed hardware is a different story. Such an example is the FAULTY_HARDWARE_CORRUPTED_PAGE fault. Here, you would nonetheless employ an application such every bit BlueSceenWindow to observe the cause of the error. However, when a hardware mistake occurs, there's not a magical fix that will right this. For this specific error, we're going to say that the result of this mistake was due to an installed memory module.
To figure out if this is the actual cause, nosotros'd have to examination the retention. There are several means to do this; using a hardware memory checker or an application. Seeing how most people don't take access to a concrete retentiveness checker, we'll opt for the application route. Thankfully, Microsoft has included a retentiveness diagnostics tool that has been included dating dorsum to Windows 7. To use this, open up a run prompt and type "mdsched".
You'll have two options to cull from; Restart At present or Cheque for issues the side by side time you start my computer. If you choose the first option, exist sure to save your piece of work equally Windows volition close out.
One time your figurer restarts, the retentivity checker will load and commencement checking your memory. Depending on how much retentivity you have installed, the process can take a while. While the examination is running, you'll meet a progress bar and an overall status. Whatever errors that may be encountered will be displayed under the status section.
Once the examination is completed, the retentivity exam volition boot into Windows. If there are no errors, you tin conclude that your memory is not at fault.
Source: https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/minidump-fix-blue-screen-of-death
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