Phenquestions
Whenever a system crashes, using dump files (.dmp), we can easily analyze what has caused the issue. Using dump analysis, errors and crashes can be resolved out. Windows Error Reporting (WER), introduced since Windows Vista, works in the way to collect user-mode dumps. But this service is not enabled by default in Windows 10/8, and a registry trick can be operated to bring it into action.
Enable Windows Error Reporting Service
In this article, I'll show you how to enable this Windows Error Reporting service using Windows Registry so that you can easily collect dump files in a folder inside Explorer. Please note that applications that do their own custom crash reporting, including .NET applications are not supported by this feature.
Collecting User Mode Dumps Using Registry Editor
As the Windows Error Reporting feature is not enabled by default, you can employ the following registry trick to make it live:
1. Press Windows Key + R combination, type put Regedt32.exe in Run dialog box and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps
3. In the right pane of this location, you can create different value data to configure WER. Here are the various data you can create here:
A] DumpFolder - (Creation : using Right click -> New -> Expandable String Value)
This string value handles the location to collect crash data in a folder. You can double click the above-created string to modify its Value data. The default Value data should be %LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps. To find dump files stored after a crash, press Windows Key + R, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps and get the dump files.
B]. DumpCount - Creation : using Right click -> New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value
Above created DWORD takes care of how many dump files should be stored at the location created previously in step a. By default, this number is 10. As the number of files exceeds 10, the oldest files will be erased, and new files will receive their place.
C] DumpType - Creation : using Right click -> New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value
This DWORD can be configured to get the dump file as Custom dump; Mini dump; Full dump according to your requirement. Use Value Data 0, 1, 2 respectively.
Thus in this way you can store the dump files for system crashes. If you're looking for storing dump files for a particular application, then you need to create the subkey to LocalDumps key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps
For example, if you want to store dump files for ImageReady, a component application of Adobe Photoshop, you can name the subkey as ImageReady.exe. So the subkey can be located as:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps\ImageReady.exe.
Then you can perform step 3 to configure what type of data to be stored for this subkey particularly. Please note that the settings of subkey i.e. ImageReady.exe overrides the setting of the main key i.e. LocalDumps.
Disable Windows Error Reporting Service
To Disable Windows Error Reporting Service, simply delete the registry key.
Remember to create a system restore point first always.
Hope you find the article useful!
