Consider the following scenario:

• You configure the system to generate a full memory dump file when fatal system errors occur on a computer that is running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista.
• The dump file and the paging file are configured to reside on the same volume.
• Sufficient free disk space is available on the volume for the dump file. For example, 10 gigabytes (GB) of free disk space is sufficient to save a full memory dump file on a computer that has 8 GB of physical memory.

In this scenario, a memory dump file may not be generated when a fatal system error occurs. However, you find a DumpXXX.tmp file in the location that you specified to save the dump file.

This problem does not occur if the free disk space is larger than two times the size of the physical memory. Additionally, this problem does not occur if the Memory.dmp file already exists.

Consider the following scenario:

• On a computer that is running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista, you have more than 4 gigabytes (GB) of physical memory installed.
• The system is configured to generate a full memory dump file.
• The DedicatedDumpFile and DumpFileSize registry values are created. The value of the DumpFileSize parameter is larger than 4096.

In this scenario, the generated dump file is unexpectedly truncated to 4 GB.

Note: To deploy, troubleshoot, and service large memory platforms, OEM partners and customers may have to create large dump files.

Consider the following scenario:

• You are running a Windows Vista-based computer.
• An Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI)-compliant baseboard management controller (BMC) is installed on the computer.
• Under the following registry subkey, you set the NMICrashDump registry entry to 1:
  

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl

• The system receives a nonmaskable interrupt (NMI) that is generated for the BMC watchdog timer (WDT).

In this scenario, you expect the system to automatically restart. Instead, the system stops responding. Additionally, the IPMI driver does not save the stop event records on the BMC, and no memory dump file is generated.

Note: The NMICrashDump registry entry is an NMI switch that specifies whether the system performs standard software error-processing when a hardware error generates an NMI. When this registry entry is set to 1, the system should perform standard software error-processing. For example, the system might display a Stop error message in this situation.

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Dr. Watson is not included in Windows Vista. The replacement for Dr. Watson is Problem Reports and Solutions. However, you cannot use Problem Reports and Solutions to create a full user-mode dump file. Keep reading →