How to read a dmp file

PurpleMoon99 0 Reputation points
2026-08-21T18:34:47.7+00:00

I had a driver crash from nvidia seems like it was just drivers having conflict with a game but im curious about the dmp file generated and what it says, i downloaded a program to open it but i don't understand much from it, what can i do? i tried to upload the file here but says it doesn't support .dmp files

Windows for home | Other | Performance and system failures
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  1. Clary-N 16,995 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-08-22T03:20:36.26+00:00

    Hi PurpleMoon99,

    Thank you for the update.

    Have you had a chance to try the guidance previously provided for opening and analyzing the .dmp file?

    If you were able to review the dump in WinDbg, please share the BugCheck code and the "Probably caused by" line from the !analyze -v output. A screenshot or a copy of that section would be helpful.

    Could you also let me know your Windows version and build number? You can check this by pressing Windows + R, typing winver and sharing the results.

    Since you mentioned the crash appeared to be related to an NVIDIA driver conflict with a game, please let me know whether the issue has occurred again and whether you had recently updated your NVIDIA driver before the crash. This information can help narrow down whether the problem is related to the graphics driver, the game itself or another component.

    I hope this helps point us in the right direction. I look forward to your update.

    If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-21T18:35:02.28+00:00

    To read a .dmp file, use WinDbg or KD from Debugging Tools for Windows.

    A practical way to start is:

    1. Install Debugging Tools for Windows.
    2. Open the dump in WinDbg either by:
      • File > Open crash dump, or
      • launching WinDbg from Command Prompt with:
    windbg -y <SymbolPath> -i <ImagePath> -z <DumpFileName>

    For small memory dumps, a sample command is:

    windbg -y srv*C:\Symbols*https://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols -i C:\Windows\i386 -z C:\Windows\Minidump\minidump.dmp

    If command line is preferred, KD can also open the dump:

    kd -y srv*C:\Symbols*https://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols -i C:\Windows\i386 -z C:\Windows\Minidump\minidump.dmp

    After the dump is open, these commands are the most useful:

    • !analyze -show — shows the Stop error code and parameters
    • !analyze -v — shows verbose analysis
    • lm N T — lists loaded modules, including module status and path

    Important limitation: minidump files contain limited information, so some commands that need memory not preserved in the dump will not work properly.

    If the goal is only to verify that the dump file is valid or readable, Dumpchk.exe can check the dump file and does not require debugging symbols.

    If the site does not accept .dmp uploads, the common workaround shown in similar cases is to:

    1. Go to C:\Windows\Minidump
    2. Copy the minidump files to another folder such as the Desktop
    3. Zip the copied files
    4. Share the ZIP instead of the raw .dmp

    Do not share MEMORY.DMP; similar guidance recommends sharing only minidump files because full memory dumps may contain personal information.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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