If the system is configured to produce a "Kernel memory dump" or "Complete memory dump," a larger file is written to the root of the system drive:
| Cause | Explanation | Resolution | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | The pagefile must be on the boot volume and at least 2 MB larger than the dump size. | Set pagefile to System managed on C:\ . | | Insufficient disk space | Minidumps require free space on C:\ . | Free up space; minidumps need ~1 MB each. | | Post-crash cleanup tools | Disk Cleanup, Storage Sense, or third-party cleaners delete .dmp files. | Exclude *.dmp from cleanup tools or disable automatic cleanup. | | Write protection or security software | Antivirus or endpoint protection blocks write to C:\Windows\Minidump . | Temporarily disable real-time protection to test. | | Registry misconfiguration | CrashDumpEnabled value is not set to 3 . | Verify registry key under HKLM\...\CrashControl . | | VBS / Hypervisor-protected code integrity | Secure kernel may prevent dump writes. | Check Event Viewer for BugCheck errors; disable Memory Integrity temporarily for testing. | where is minidump file windows 11
If you navigated to C:\Windows\Minidump and found nothing, there are two common reasons why: If the system is configured to produce a
Typical information extracted includes: