Minidump Error Report file not displaying.

Alright, I was trying to get access to the files sent to microsoft when my system crashes, ( 20 scince Feb 17) and have been looking for a way to get those files to open. This morning I was reading the support forum and read that I needed to download the Support Tools folder off of My CD, to get that Program. I did this, BUT, when I try to open the files now, they do open, then, in the blink of and eye they close again. They won't stay open.

I figure if I wait on Microsoft Or Systemax to find out why this system keeps crashing I will be replacing it first with a MUCH newer model, ( this is a new system), before I find out why it doesn't work.

So, am I doing something wrong? The command Prompt screen flashes up with the information on it but immediately closes. It opens with every click, and closes in a flash. I am using Dumpchk.exe and it is the first program that would actually open them, so why are they automatically closing? Any Ideas?

I am really getting frustrated with hidden information and files when I need to find answers to the big whys. Any and all help would be most appreciated.

 

Try bringing them up via the command prompt.
Start, Run, Cmd <enter>

Navigate to where you installed the support tools
example

cd\program files\support tools <enter>

dumpchk is a command line tool. You can only run it from the command prompt (dos shell).

What I typically do, is navigate to :

c:\windows\minidump (cd\windows\minidump)
then I copy the file from the support tools folder to the minidump folder (i.e.)

copy "c:\program files\support tools\dumpchk.exe" <enter>

Now, dumpchk is located where all the dump files are found...
next
run the program like so:

dumpchk <dumpfile> <enter>
or
dumpchk <dumpfile> | more (the | is pipe or shift back slash)
or
dumpchk <dumpfile> > dump.txt (i.e.)
dumpchk mini042805-01.dmp > dump.txt

Anyway, hopefully, this is what you wanted to know......

 

How about taking a look at this:
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35246

 

Meny Thanks I will study these.

 

O.K. I tried the cammand prompt screen to initiate the program and there is something weird about my screen. I appears with a partial file path already and unchangeable.

C:/Documents and Settings/(file name)>

This file path cannot be erased or changed. If I use it of course, the file path gets an error message. You also cannot insert a different file path before or after it. It seems to be like a gate or something.

Program Files is on the C drive folder, the same place Documents and Settings is and you can't get there from (file name).

I can't figure out how to even use the Command Prompt Screen. Everything I try seems to be wrong. Any help would be much appreciated. Trying to access these files is driving me nuts. I have been on it all day.

I decided to try a windows programming repair to see if that would help my crash problem, then I had to reload my Media player because it wouldn't work right after, so that took about four or five hours, and now my computer takes a lot longer (3x) to boot up than it did. Can't imagine why. Once it's done it's OK, but agrivating to have to sit through.

 

The c:\documents and setting\<username>\> is just the location of where you are at.

You can only change it with using the cd command.
You want to go to the program files directory, so you need to type in the following:

cd\program files

cd = change directory

 

Meny, meny thanks. I didn't expect this to be easy but from what Adrenalyn say's Its a whole lot more complex than I thought. Glad I got you guys, I would never figure this out by myself.

 

OK, I followed the C: Documents and Settings/(file name)> with the cd/programfiles>enter and it said "the system cannot find the path specified" and dropped down and replaced the C: D&D/fn>line again...

I'm stumped. It doesn't seem to want to do anything.

 

Why not try the FAQ instructions, its quite a bit easier than navigating around in the command prompt: you basically download the package, install, configure and go

It might seem like a lot to read but really its quite a simple and effective procedure.

 

Yes, follow the link that goldfish gave out. It is a bit easier to use a gui for some people, then it is for others who prefer the command line way. I have a habit of going the command line way, since this is what I was brought up on.

Anway, the way I was showing was a quick and (to me) easy way to find out what the .dmp file held.

That link that goldfish gave out, is quite a bit more robust and informative.

 

OK, I will give it a shot and download the tools, then take the pages with Adrenalynes instructions and see what I can figure out. I will get back with you after I have had time to see if I can figure the package out.

Just looking at the instructions Makes it hard to envision what he is talking about. But maybe once I have the tools on the computer I can see it better.

The command prompt seemed a lot more streight forward, but the thing didn't seem to want to work. I am not sure my system is working right scince I did the windows repair to try to solve the crash problem. And I seem to have done some good, but, I also have had some gliches in some of my peripherals such as the printer not recieving print orders from the scanner and backlogging all print orders in a file till I unplug it, and plug it back in, and also printing pages in reverse order, like 3,2,1 instead of 1,2,3.

I didn't have any of these problems until the Windows Repair execution. But, apparantly my crash was the result of a corrupted driver and the repair fixed that. It's only been two days, and I have gone as much as 17 days without a crash, but, I haven't even had an error report to send to Microsoft, and that hasn't happened before. It still seems to have introduced a great deal of stumble in the operation of the system. like where the patches tied in with the original program isn't quite as contiguious as it was.

so I might have to do a complete reformat to get back a clean and smooth operating system. Unless an error repair program might fix it like ErrorFixer2005.exe, that my brother-in-Law put on my computer the last time he was here. Open to suggestions here.

Anyway, I will give the link a try and download the tools and see if I can use them with the Adrenalyne instruction book. I expect to be pretty confused, for a while at least.

 

It looks a lot harder than it really is.

My tutorial goes into more depth than most need it to, where as they don't have to further delve information with !analyze -v.

 

Thanks for dropping by Adrynalyne. I haven't gotten to the tools yet, but I definately still have problems. today I started getting Updates for my XP program from Microsoft. I "downloaded" it and rebooted only to find another "Update" waiting to be "downloaded". After the third one came in and when I looked at it to see what it was, it was service Pack 2, something my system came with.

I still got one waiting and I imagine there will be a permanant string of them for a while till the system gets streightened out. Does this kind of thing usually happen when you do the Windows Repair operation?

I think I might have to do the factory restore to get this right. I guess it's overdue, and I am pretty sure I can't undo the problems with a restore, because I dumped the restore points recently.

My system just locked up while I was trying to view this thread a while ago, so that tells me that I have done the worst I could and for the first time I think I have to start from scratch. There are so meny different gliches scince that repair operation that I am not optimistic.

I will try running the tools, if I can find any minidumps left. I have been running C cleaner and discovered today it was set to erase the minidumps. I un checked it but, it is a little late. I will let you know when I start working through all of the problems I have created, how I am doing on it. I appreciate the help.

 

Well, I guess my ignorance is showing right about now, but, I did finally have to resort to the factory restore. Hopefully things will smooth out from here on out. I did actually save some of my Minidumps after I discovered where they were, so, when I down load the tools I will have something to work with, even if it is no longer applicable to my computer. We will see about that. I hope, I hope, I hope. will let you know what I learn. I really think it must have been a corrupted driver. Top O' the Marnin' too ye Lads!!!

 

Factory re-image (which sounds like what it did) sounds like a viable solution... somtimes there are just too many problems to isolate, and by re-imaging or re-installing you can take a whole load of them out with one go

Debugging tools are always useful, if not for your own machine for debugging other peoples minidumps You can look up the "probably caused by" file, see where it came from and recommend people what they should do Its a useful tool to have in your geekery toolbox.

 

Thanks to all of you guys efforts, and the information supplied by Shadow PD, I am beginning to get a handle on this. My problems are not gone, and I don't think either of these two threads are over yet, but the information is getting digested a little at a time.

At least now I can navigate some of the Command Prompt Screen, enough to find the help files on the system and that is a start. Still lots to learn, and various avenues to explore, to see what is going on with this machine.

All of your hard work is much appreciated.

 

Ok, took my first stab at running the dumpchk program, and got the following Message:

C:WINDOWS/Minidump>dumpchk mini061605-01
Loading dumpfile mini 061605-01
***debug client cannot open dumpfile-error 80070002

So, any of you guys got any dump file error codes handy?

 

Well, the factory restore, or reimaging as you termed it didn't work, I still get fatal errors and the Microsoft system say's it's a driver. So, it is absolutely imperative that I unlock the minidumps if I am ever going to solve this problem. This has to be an original equipment driver, because it started the very first day I got the system. I reloaded all of the drivers, and updated the ones that Systemax had on their web site, (took me almost 24 hours to download them, because their download site would stall and I would have to start all over several times, and monitor the progress the whole time, not fun), so it seems that the only drivers left to suspect is internet server, AOL.

Previous experience and insights might be helpful. Or that Systemax hasn't found the cause yet either.