Imagine you are working on your computer, and all of a sudden, it crashes, and you lose your data. It’s a nightmare, right? This mostly happens because of an unhandled exception, and the operating system needs a way to detect it. This is where the minidump tool comes in.
A minidump is a small file that contains information about the state of the system when it crashed. This information can help you diagnose the issue that caused the system to crash. In Windows 11, minidumps are disabled by default, but you can enable them with just a few simple steps.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to enable minidumps on Windows 11.
Video Tutorial:
Why Can’t I see Minidumps on Windows 11?
By default, minidumps are disabled on Windows 11. This means that when your computer crashes, the operating system does not create a minidump file. Without minidumps, you won’t be able to diagnose the issue and fix it.
Q: Why are minidumps disabled on Windows 11?
A: Minidumps are disabled by default on Windows 11 to conserve disk space. In some cases, minidumps can take up a significant amount of disk space, which can be a problem for systems with limited storage capacity. However, minidumps are critical for diagnosing issues, so you should enable them if you’re experiencing frequent crashes.
How to Enable Minidumps on Windows 11
To enable minidumps on Windows 11, you’ll need to make changes to the registry. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Launch the Registry Editor
Press the Windows key + R to launch the Run dialog box. Type ‘regedit’ in the text box and click OK or press Enter.
Step 2: Navigate to the Registry Key
In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps
If the ‘LocalDumps’ key doesn’t exist, you’ll need to create it. To do this, right-click on the ‘Windows Error Reporting’ key, select New, and then Key. Name the new key ‘LocalDumps.’
Step 3: Configure the Minidump Settings
Under the ‘LocalDumps’ key, right-click on an empty space, select New, and then String Value. Name the new value ‘DumpFolder.’
Double-click on the ‘DumpFolder’ value, and in the Value data field, type the path where you want the minidump files to be saved. For example, if you want to save the files on the desktop, type ‘C:\Users\
Next, create another String Value named ‘DumpType.’ Double-click on the ‘DumpType’ value and enter ‘2’ (without quotes) in the Value data field. This will create small memory dump files.
Step 4: Save the Changes
Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
FAQs
Q: How much disk space do minidumps take up?
A: Minidumps can vary in size, depending on the amount of data they contain. Typically, they range from a few hundred kilobytes to a few megabytes in size. If your system crashes frequently, the minidump files can accumulate over time and take up a significant amount of disk space.
Q: Can I disable minidumps after enabling them?
A: Yes, you can disable minidumps after enabling them. To do this, delete the ‘LocalDumps’ key in the Registry Editor.
Q: How can I analyze minidump files?
A: To analyze minidump files, you’ll need a debugging tool like WinDbg. Once you’ve installed WinDbg, you can open the minidump file and get information about the crash that caused the system to generate the minidump.
Q: Can I change the type of minidump file that Windows generates?
A: Yes, you can change the type of minidump file that Windows generates. Under the ‘LocalDumps’ key in the Registry Editor, create a new String Value called ‘DumpType’ and set its value to one of the following:
- 0: No dump file is created
- 1: A full memory dump file is created
- 2: A small minidump file is created
- 3: A kernel dump file is created
- 4: A complete memory dump file is created
Q: How can I know if the minidump has been created after a system crash?
A: You can check if the minidump has been created after a system crash by navigating to the path where you specified the dump files to be saved. If the file is there, it means that the minidump has been created.
