I am Dale Hayter, a Microsoft and VMware certified Technical Consultant.

My blog has been built up over the years from my experience of working on an IT helpdesk and also from being out on-site.

How to Debug and Read Memory Dump Files

I keep referring to an 3rd party link if I ever need to remind myself how to debug memory dumps.

Thought I would blog it here then saves me digging out the link.

These instructions are to build a windows debugging machine that can install on the following OS’s :

Windows 8
Windows Server 2012
Windows 7
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Vista
Windows Server 2008
Windows XP
Window Server 2003
Windows Server 2003

Your then be able to debug memory dumps from :

Windows 7
Windows Server 2012 RC
Windows Vista
Windows Server 2008
Windows XP
Windows Server 2003

To read memory dumps do the following

– Install .net framework 4 for your OS from here.
– Install the Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 4 from the link here
– When going through the install wizard make sure the debugging tools are ticked.

– When you click next it will start downloading the relevant parts
– Once installed load windbg from the start menu
– Click File, Symbol File Path…

– Enter the following into the symbol file path and then click ok.

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

– Click File, Save workspace. This is so the symbol path is saved for future use.

– Your now all setup ready to go. Click file, open crash dump.

– It will then analyse the dump file. Once its load type !analyze -v