Forcing a System Crash
Once kernel-mode dump files have been enabled, most system crashes should cause a crash file to be written and the blue screen to be displayed.
However, there are times that a system freezes without actually initiating a kernel crash. Possible symptoms of such a freeze include:
The mouse pointer moves, but can't do anything.
All video is frozen, the mouse pointer does not move, but paging continues.
There is no response at all to the mouse or keyboard, and no use of the disk.
If an experienced debugging technician is present, they can attach a kernel debugger and analyze the problem. For some tips on what to look for when this situation occurs, see Debugging a Stalled System.
However, if no technician is present, you may wish to create a kernel-mode dump file and send it to an off-site technician. This dump file can be used to analyze the cause of the error.
There are three ways to deliberately cause a system crash:
Forcing a System Crash from the Debugger