No crash file / dump file created when system crashes

Question

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4     My Vista Home Premium system is not writing memory dump files when it crashes (that is, when gets a stop error with a blue screen).  This is with a Dell Inspiron 530.  I need crash dumps when it gets stop errors in order to solve a consistent crash problem with some software.  I have not observed any stability problems with my system lately, other than this crash bug with the software.   The blue screen, at the bottom, shows that it is writing a crash file, with progress rapidly counting up to 100% before the disk audibly spins down.  However, after I reboot there is never a .dmp file where it should be (nor anywhere else on my system).   My system has 3.00 GB RAM.  My pagefile.sys is currently in C:\, and is 4.48 GB.  I set my virtual memory management to user-managed with minimum and maximum sizes at 4590 MB.  Previously I had it set to the default system-managed virtual memory setting, but I changed it to 4590 MB to make sure the page file is always large enough.  Free space on C:\ is 8.24 GB.   Current Startup and Recovery settings: Write an event to the system log checked; Automatically restart unchecked; Write debugging information set to 'Kernel memory dump'; Dump file: C:\Mem.dmp; Overwrite any existing file checked.  Other dump file settings I have used included the default %Systemroot%\Memory.cmp, and C:\Memory.dmp.   I ran chkdsk (without /r or /f options), and it found no errors.   I have seen many inquiries from others about the lack of memory dump files, and few useful answers.  There are many requirements given for where the pagefile must be, where the memory dump file needs to be, how big the page file must be, how much free space on the disk etc.  However, as far as I can tell, I have actually satisfied all of those requirements, yet still do not get any .dmp files to help analyze this crash bug.   Side note: can't get this web page's Java-infected editor to stop including the formatting junk at the top.  Can't see it to select and delete it.

mombodog · Answer

Java infected,,LOL   'If you specify a non-existent path, a dump file will not be written. For example, if you specify the path as C:\Dumpfiles\Memory.dmp and no C:\Dumpfiles folder exists, a dump file will not be written.'   check your path, be sure the folder exists.

Vospiron · Answer

Thanks, as I mentioned, my dump file is currently C:\Mem.dmp .  Pointing to a filename right under C:\ is about as valid as anything can be.  Note that I have had it set to other valid directories when testing this -- like the default %Systemroot%\Memory.dmp ; and C:\Memory.dmp -- but this does not seem to make any difference.

Windows General

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