How system error memory dump files and system error minidump files can be helpful in Windows 10?

Question

Hi,

In Disk Cleanup, I found system error memory dump files and system error minidump files.

system error memory dump files size is 1.25GB and system error minidump files size is 10.3 MB.

Before cleaning both, I would like to understand their importance for troubleshooting and how I can access them.

Moreover, please let us know, should I keep them and delete them?

With Regards
NndnG

Answer 1

When there is a system crash or failure and like Blue Screen error, it will create a dump file and you may analyze them to identify the cause of the problem.
In case you setup your system , they will be sent to Microsoft for analyze.
You may analyze them using WinDbg, take a look at:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/debugger/analyzing-a-user-mode-dump-file
You may delete them if you are not facing any problem.
In addition, you may take a backup of them as a record so if there was a failure and you want to investigate what causing it, them look into them.
You may report them manually using the Feedback Hub app.

Answer 2

""Before cleaning both, I would like to understand their importance for troubleshooting and how I can access them.

Moreover, please let us know, should I keep them and delete them?""

Hi NndnG,

Dump files indicate that at some point the computer had a crash with unexpected shutdown(s) and restart(s).
These can be mini or memory dumps or both.
If they are old they can be deleted.
If they occurred within the last 30 days and were recurrent then it's generally good to fix them.
BSOD crashes can occur from misbehaving drivers, malfunctioning hardware, or problems in the BIOS firmware.

To collect them you can search for:

%systemroot%\minidump
%systemroot%\memory.dmp
or
C:\windows\minidump
C:\windows\memory.dmp

There are third party software that run automatic commands to debug them.
These can be used for simple debugging.
For more detailed debugging you can run log collectors.
A share link is posted into the thread.
The logs can be scanned and troubleshooted.
Drivers or BIOS are modified as needed.
And hardware is tested and replaced as needed.

If you would like a comprehensive analysis then a link can be posted for a log collector.

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Answer 3

Hi
@NndnG
Dump file is created when your PC or VM run into mistakes like BSOD and crash, they are designed for IT pros or Microsoft performance staffs to analyze and find out the causes in the dump file.
It seems, your PC got crashed several times but doesn't affect much, however if the crash like BSOD is troublesome enough to affect your daily use and the PCs can not do simple actions to fix and can't do clean install, hereby we can use to dump file.

You can download the WinDbg in Microsoft store, or in windows ADK to analyze the dump file, but it's not easy to get start with.
you can configure the dump file in (search→view advanced system settings→advanced→boot and restore→settings)
You can delete the dump file if you have some clues about the causes of crashes and solved it or there is no crashes any more.

Hope this can help you
If your need further help, be free reply to me at your convenience.

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Answer 4

Windows has generated dmp files, how to use windbg to diagnose hardware or software problems