DMP files (dump files) are useful for debugging Windows, so you should know how to open up and read DMP files in Windows seven or viii.1 if y'all want to debug blue screens. It'southward very easy to open DMP files, simply the difficult function is locating the actual problem and analyzing the DMP file correctly.

How to open DMP files in Windows

Stride Instructions
1 Download Commuter Kit
2 Installation
3 Utilize WinDBG to analyze files
4 Locating DMP files

In order to open and view DMP files in Windows, you starting time accept to install a driver kit and fix the symbol path correctly. This will then allow you to open DMP files using the debugging tool. DMP (dump files) are the most useful files for you to debug your organization, so there's no way around this.

This shouldn't take longer than ten minutes, but if yous have a irksome connexion, downloading the 700MB ISO file (debugging tools) might take a while.

1. Download Windows Commuter Kit

To open DMP files, you volition need the Windows Debugging Tools (additional download). The Debugging Tools are included in the Windows Driver Kit Version 7.1.0. You take to download this ~700MB large ISO file from Microsoft first.

OS Driver Kit
Windows seven Download Windows Commuter Kit Version for Windows 7
Windows 8/viii.1 Download Windows Commuter Kit For Windows 8/8.i
Windows 10 Download Windows Driver Kit For Windows x

two. Install Driver Kit

I'm commonly to lazy to burn ISO files, but feel free to burn the downloaded driver kit to a DVD or Blu-Ray if y'all wish. Or alternatively open the ISO file using the built-in Windows tools and excerpt everything. In the Debuggers directory you will detect a x32 and x64 installer for the Windows Debugging Tool. Make sure to install the correct 1!

  • 64-bit Windows: Run setup_amd64.exe
  • 32-bit Windows: Run setup_x86.exe

The Windows 10 setup is chosen wdksetup.exe, not setup.exe

Of import: On Windows 7, select Custom installed and change the location to e.g. C:\Debug\ it will make things easier if y'all don't like typing the full path.

On Windows 8, you lot tin can change the installation path by choosing the second pick: Download the Windows Driver Kit for Windows eight.1 for installation on a split figurer

Download The Windows Driver Kit For Windows 8 1 For Installation On A Separate Computer.png

Don't know how to open up ISO files? Read this: How to open ISO files in Windows seven

three. Open WinDBG

Either go directly to C:\Debug (or wherever you installed the debugging tools to) and click on windbg.exe:

Debug Tools Windbg.exe

Or open WinDBG via the First Menu:

Open WinDbg

Set up Symbol File Path

1. Step Create a new folder on your main drive and call it "Symbols", e.m. C:\Symbols

two. Stride Click on "File" – "Symbol File Path …":

WinDBG Set Symbol File Path

three. Step Insert the post-obit path:

SRV*C:\Symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols

Replace "C:\Symbols" with your own binder if yous created it somewhere else in step 1.

Open DMP file via WinDBG (CTRL+D)

WinDBG all the same opened? Skilful, the quickest manner to open DMP files now is the shortcut CTRL+D or go to "File" and click on "Open Crash Dump File..":

WinDBG Open Crash DUMP DMP File Windows 7

Where are DMP files located?

DMP files are located in C:\Windows\Minidump!

You can modify the location where they are stored.

Tin can't open DMP files? Permission Mistake!

If you are receiving a permission error like the 1 below, you take to accept buying of the DMP files get-go.

How to open Crash DMP file: Permission error

Usually, the owner is not even ready:
Unable to display Current owner

Important: If you lot still receive the fault "you lot don't have permission to open this file, contact the system administrator", re-create the DMP file that you want to open and copy it into a subfolder, then it will work.

Allow'southward analyze the DMP file!

When you're asked if you want to save the workspace, click yes. WinDBG volition at present open the DMP file and process it. This will take some time! Have some patience.

Here's the first Bugcheck Analysis:
DMP Bugcheck Analysis

Of class, we want to dig a little deeper and enter !analyze -v to go detailed information . Now, below the side by side paragraph "Bugcheck Analysis" you will discover some more concrete details. For my DMP file it read:

DRIVER_CORRUPTED_EXPOOL (c5)
An attempt was made to access a pageable (or completely invalid) address at an
interrupt request level (IRQL) that is too high. This is
caused by drivers that accept corrupted the organisation puddle. Run the driver
verifier confronting whatsoever new (or suspect) drivers, and if that doesn't plough up
the culprit, then use gflags to enable special pool.
Arguments:
Arg1: 0000000000000008, memory referenced
Arg2: 0000000000000002, IRQL
Arg3: 0000000000000000, value 0 = read operation, 1 = write operation
Arg4: fffff80002c03000, address which referenced retention

In this case I had some corrupt drivers that attempted to access a IRQL that is too loftier, so my conclusion was to cheque my drivers. Now that you know the concrete error (my case: DRIVER_CORRUPTED_EXPOOL), you can also practise some enquiry and possibly find people with the same problem.

Commuter Verifier Manager / Testing Drivers For Arrangement Interrupts

Sidenote: To run the driver verifier enter "verifier" into an elevated command prompt (how to open up command prompt), you can and then cheque the settings of currently loaded drivers for example. Go along in mind that this is advanced stuff, so you would accept to do some inquiry nearly it first.

If you like, you tin read our detailed guide on finding and fixing system interrupts

I hope that this helped out some of you guys who wanted to open up DMP files. Once you get used to reading DMP files, they can be handy for finding and solving problems in Windows vii and Windows in full general.