Memory Dump

When a computer “dump” occurs it typically involves a process where your computer or an application runs into some difficulty and comes to a halt.  As a result, the system “dumps” information from internal main memory to your screen or to a file for transmission.  While it is possible for you to view the data and potentially determine the cause of the crash, unless you are capable of understanding binary or hexadecimal format it can be somewhat meaningless.

This article offers a description of memory dumps and provides an overview of common reasons these occur.  Suggestions to improve this condition are offered.  This subject matter can be complex and we recommend you do further investigation if you come across a specific area that requires more information.

Description

From your perspective a memory dump can involve a system crash or can be the result of an application that “hangs” in that it fails to respond.  With the latter, you are shown a dialog offering to send the details of the problem to Microsoft.  More severe situations can result in a system failure that stops your computer altogether, known as “stop errors”.  In these situations a blue screen appears which has become known as the “Blue Screen of Death”.  Error code is displayed on this blue screen and this information is useful when performing online searches for a solution to your problem. 

If you are running Windows XP you won’t likely see this screen and the information on it.  By default, the settings for XP are configured to perform an automatic restart when a system failure occurs.  You can alter this by right-clicking your desktop “My Computer” icon, choosing Properties and selecting the Advanced tab.  Next, you will need to click the Setup button in the Startup and Recovery section and clear the checkbox on the setting: Automatically restart.  When a blue screen system failure occurs you can read the text and you can write down the information.  After this you will need to re-start your computer – press the Reset button or press and hold the Power button for five seconds. 

Causes

With application errors there are several circumstances that will trigger a memory dump.  Determining the causes of program failures is not an easy task.  There are many possible causes related to hardware, software, or a combination of the two.  If it is simply one software application that is not working, the program becomes non-responsive but the system is not affected.  It is in these cases that a dialog appears with the name of the application and a message saying:

The program is not responding.

Please tell Microsoft about this problem.

We have created an error report that you can send to us.  We will treat this report as confidential and anonymous.

To see what data this error report contains, click here.

By sending these log files, an analysis can be performed and, if certain patterns are encountered on many computer systems, Microsoft may consider releasing a fix or solving the issue in an upcoming patch.  Along with viewing the memory dump report, you can also send or not send the error report.  If this is a reoccurring issue with a particular program you will need to know specifically what the factors are leading up to the problem.  If there are several applications performing the same way then you may have a combination of causes affecting the functioning of your software; do not rule out the possibility that it could be caused by faulty hardware.  

Hardware issues will likely be more severe in that several programs could be showing signs of dysfunction or system failures continue to occur.  System failures that lead to memory dumps are likely to have occurred from RAM or bus errors.  RAM chips can become faulty or breakdown due to continual expanding and contracting from heating and cooling of the chip.  Also, all electronic components, such as RAM chips, can be faulty or defective right from the manufacture.

Bus errors are more complex in that, once again, they could be due to a program error as a particular application attempts to access a non-existent or unavailable hardware device.  The “bus” is a set of conductors that are involved in the transportation of data.  We can think of them as a collection of wires that exist within the CPU or ones that go from the CPU to peripheral devices or external memory.  A bus error will occur if there is an invalid address or if the physical device that is trying to be accessed is not connected.  Electrical interferences and flooding of information can also result in bus errors.

Visit the Microsoft support site to get information related to your specific issue: http://support.microsoft.com/.

What To Do

To recap, a memory dump is a file that describes some problem that occurred on your system.  It can be used as a diagnostic tool to discover the root of the problem.  This requires that you know what to look for or that you can find the means to decipher the information.  It could be a starting place for taking some part of the data and doing an Internet search.  Keep in mind that the report was generated for programmers so they could tell what was happening at the time of the incident; the data is a snapshot of values including registry and associated variables.  In most situations, users will simply close the dialog and continue.  However, if these memory dumps are a regular occurrence it would be wise to dig a little deeper.

Acquiring more information through a bit of investigation can be a fairly straightforward task.  Begin by answering a few questions.  Is the issue related to some recent change or is it something you are unaware of or outside of your control?  For example, if you are experiencing an ongoing crash and memory dumps are appearing each time, could it be because you have recently installed hardware or software?  We suggest taking an inventory of any recent changes to your system.  You may have to undo these changes.  If you just added a new hardware device you may have to remove it from the system.  Before doing this it is best that you contact the manufacturer of a hardware device to determine if it is functioning correctly – a diagnostic tool could be available or it could be that you need a new device driver.

For application problems you can simply restart the system as a way of resetting your system.  Pay attention to whether the issue occurs again.  You can try to repeat the steps leading up to the memory dump.  If a specific application is working improperly, close and restart it.  You can also try closing all other programs that are running.  Does the program still run into problems?  If so you can try uninstalling it and reinstalling it.  If the problem is related to the operating system, check that you have the latest updates and service packs.  With more recent Microsoft operating systems, such as Windows XP, you can use the Windows Update service.  Otherwise, you can go directly to the Microsoft website and look for updates specific to your computer.

One way to determine what you are dealing with is to see if you can reproduce the issue even after restarting your computer.  If you have a better sense of what is going wrong you can begin by seeking online information related to the issue.  If you suspect it is related to a hardware malfunction you can look for available diagnostic tools and run the tool to discover the capability of the suspect hardware.  With RAM issues, you can do an Internet search for “RAM diagnosis” and then download and run a diagnostic program (assuming your computer is functioning well enough).  Memtest86 is a popular RAM diagnostic tool (http://www.memtest86.com/) and is fairly low in price.  After the diagnostic scan you can replace any RAM chips that are faulty.

Back Up and Lighten The Load

If you are having serious system issues, perform a back-up of your files immediately.  For Windows XP Pro version there is a backup functionality that is part of the system operations; go to Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools and select Backup.  With the Home version it is not installed so you will have to use a Windows XP Home edition CD and install backup functionality manually.  You can get more information online before starting this task. 

Another great option for backing up and synchronizing your files – rather than the lengthy process of overwriting everything – is SyncToy.  Microsoft is the creator of this program and it is offered for free so you can sync your files to a back-up source.  SyncToy is free and easy to use and you can search for it here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/. 

With your files safely backed up you can feel confident when using diagnostic tools and making changes to your system.  Regularly backing up your system and saved data is a good practice tip that you can be doing regardless of how your computer is performing.

Heavy resource use – having to use many applications at once or having particular applications “hog” system resources – can result to a system bog down.  As a result the flaws in the system are more easily exposed leading to application crashes or system failure and degradation.  Take stock of what applications are not being utilized.  You can click Start | Settings | Control Panel and select “Add or Remove Programs” to see a list of your applications and get information related to when you last used the program.

Many times installing applications results in having that program added to the Startup list; go to Start | Programs | Startup.  You might have noticed that your computer doesn’t start as quickly as when you first purchased it.  You can manage these items using the Windows System Configuration Utility (MSConfig).  There are applications you can buy that are dedicated solely to managing startup programs.  We suggest checking out RegCure as it includes this functionality and it works to scan and clean items that can – and should be – safely removed. 

Uncertainties

Keep in mind that there are situations that arise that you may not be aware of.  For example, spyware could be loaded on to your system and tying up resources.  There are instances when software is loaded on to your system without your permission or is an add-on that is included from another piece of software you have installed.  Try XoftSpySE Anti-Spyware for detection and complete removal of spyware threats.

Glossary

Operating system: the required software necessary to operate and manage your PC.  This includes managing all resources – hardware devices, software applications, and user interface. 

RAM: known as “Random Access Memory”; the memory that is used by your computer for temporary data program code storage.  It is volatile in that will be purged when you power off the computer.

Malware: “malicious” and “software” – malware applications are created for unethical or unlawful purposes and can lead to financial gain for the malware creator.