How to manage crash dump settings on Windows 10
Yes, you can enable, disable, and even manage how Windows 10 creates dump files during blue screen errors, and in this guide, we’ll show you how with Settings and commands.
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Windows 10 comes with predefined settings tocreate crash dump filesand take specific actions automatically during a critical error. However, you can customize the experience to tell the system how you want to record the data and what action to take.
A dump file is a special type of file that is created automatically when the system experiences aBlue Screen of Death (BSoD)— commonly known as a “bug check,” “stop error,” or “system error” — and suddenly reboots or shuts down. There are various types of dump files, but one thing they have in common is that they all contain information about the resources loaded in memory at the time of the crash.
Usually, these files are essential fordebugging and troubleshooting purposes, and whileWindows 10comes with the optimal settings for the most case, the system comes with settings to enable or disable the creation of dump files, and actions like writing the event in the System log, restart the computer automatically and choose the type of crash dump you want to create based on the information you need.
In this Windows 10 guide, we will show you the steps of managing dump file configuration options using the Settings app and Command Prompt.
How to change crash dump settings using Settings app
To change how Windows 10 creates dumps files during a critical error, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the system will create dumps files depending on your configuration.
Disable crash dumps creation on Windows 10
To prevent Windows 10 from creating dump files during a blue screen, use these steps:
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After you complete the steps, the system will no longer create error files.
If you change your mind, you can always revert the settings using the instructions outlined above and selecting the option that suits your situation.
How to change crash dump settings using Command Prompt
Windows 10 also allows you to configure the settings for dump files and actions during system failures using commands, which you can run with Command Prompt or PowerShell.
Command to enable or disable System log events and auto-restart
To enable or disable Windows 10 from writing a System log event or automatically restarting the device upon crash with Command Prompt, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the system will write logs and restart automatically upon crash according to your configuration.
Command to disable crash dumps on Windows 10
To stop creating dump files after a crash with a command, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, Windows 10 will no longer create dumps files during a bug check. If you want to enable the feature again, configure the type of file you want to create with the instructions below.
Command to enable small memory dumps
To enable and set up the system to create small memory dumps with a command, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the system will collect the smallest amount of information about the crash in a file no larger than 64KB.
Command to enable kernel memory dumps
To enable and configure the system to create kernel memory dumps, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, Windows 10 will create a file smaller than the complete option with system kernel allocated information, hardware abstraction layer (HAL), kernel-mode drivers, and other kernel-mode programs.
Command to enable complete memory dumps
To enable and configure complete memory dumps creation, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, during a Blue Screen of Death error, a file with everything loaded in memory will be created for debugging and troubleshooting.
Command to enable automatic memory dumps
To enable and set up the system to create automatic memory dumps, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the system will create a dump file similar to the one from when using the “kernel memory dump” option, but the system will automatically manage the file’s size.
Command to change default dump store location
To change the default folder location to store dumps with commands, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the dump file will be saved in the location you specified in the command during a critical error.
Command to enable or disable overwrite existing files
To enable or disable the ability to overwrite older files, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, depending on the system failure configuration, the previous file will be overwritten, according to your settings, when a second dump file needs to be created.
More Windows 10 resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
