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Resolved How to generate a "Complete Memory Dump" and missing options on XP Pro SP3

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by pcbugfixer, 2011/10/03.

  1. 2011/10/03
    pcbugfixer

    pcbugfixer Inactive Thread Starter

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    G'day Folks,

    I have a couple of issues on my Windows XP Pro SP3 (resides on partition 0 on system 03 as shown in by system spec. "My System ") for which I need help to fix them.

    1. In the System Properties -> Advanced (tab) -> "Startup and Recovery" Settings "write debugging information" the first option box, has the 'complete memory dump' option missing.
    - The only options available (selectable) are, 'Small memory dump (64KB) and 'Kernel memory dump'.

    Q1. How to fix this and re-establish the "complete memory dump option "

    2. I then need to manually generate a "complete memory dump" by using Run or Keyboard commands to do so for diagnostic purposes.

    Q2. How do I manually generate the "complete memory dump" file ?

    So who is the expert on this issue that can help ? ;)

    :cool: Regards
    pcbugfixer
     
    Last edited: 2011/10/03
    pcbugfixer,
    #1
  2. 2011/10/04
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    Arie,
    #2


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  4. 2011/10/04
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    Must have a large swap file on the C drive.
     
    Steve R Jones,
    #3
  5. 2011/10/04
    pcbugfixer

    pcbugfixer Inactive Thread Starter

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    Thanks for reply "Arie "

    Can you help fix this ?
    Q1. How to fix this and re-establish the "complete memory dump option "

    And the manually creating the dump file with the old "[FONT=&quot]CTRL+SCROLL LOCK+SCROLL LOCK [/FONT]" wont work ?

    "Steve R Jones" reply:
    The system has a 2047MB of free ram, and uses 519MB of the 1.50GB (1,610,612,736 bytes) pagefile.sys HDD free space on the partition is 28.8GB - This should be enough for the dump if I can reestablish the "complete memory dump option" and generate the dump or as Arie put it, Re-create the BSOD environment.

    Regards
    pcbugfixer
     
    pcbugfixer,
    #4
  6. 2011/10/04
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    Pagefile is too small. You have 4GB ram and only 1.5GB pagefile, so that won't fit!

    Well, it may - or may not. You'll need a hotfix for USB keyboards.

    But then again, if you 'do' it, this is all what you will see:

    See: Overview of memory dump file options for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000

    and

    Windows feature lets you generate a memory dump file by using the keyboard
     
    Arie,
    #5
  7. 2011/10/09
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Overview of memory dump file options for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/254649
     
    SpywareDr,
    #6
  8. 2011/10/10
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    Thanks 'Doc'... I didn't take notice of that... I've left 32-bit OS behind years ago :eek: (as soon as I moved from XP > Vista).
     
    Arie,
    #7
  9. 2011/10/10
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    No problem. :)
     
    SpywareDr,
    #8
  10. 2011/10/12
    pcbugfixer

    pcbugfixer Inactive Thread Starter

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    G'day Folks,
    Reply to "Arie" and "SpywareDr" - Thanks for the input and help so far.

    1. I understand that the "Complete Memory Dump" is not available to me because I have 4GB of RAM installed.

    2. "SpywareDr - The link to the overview file in its content refers to "Updated: January 21, 2005 /Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2" and although similarities exist it does not mention XP or XP Pro SP3 - could you please clarify this ?

    3. I have set the "Write debugging information" to [Kernel memory dump] and [%SystemRoot%\MEMORY.DMP] for the Dump file, and left the box for the "'Overwrite any existing file' checked, i.e. there is a tick in the box.

    4. In the "Performance Options" -> "Advanced" -> "Virtual memory" the settings are 'Custom size' set to Initial size (MB) 5373 / and "Maximum size (MB) 12288 set on the C: drive (no other HDD contain or are set for a Paging File.
    'Total paging file size for all drives' shows as Minimum allowed: 2MB / Recommended: 5373 / Currently allocated: 5373

    Additional Help needed please,

    A. - I am attempting to resolve an issue with BitDefender Total Security 2010, which after an update caused the "bdagent.exe" (this loads the System tray icon and the bar indicator on the desktop) to fail.

    B. - Subsequently after manually changing the name of the 'bdoe.dll' file to 'bdoe.dxx' (resides in the installed folder) the system tray icon loaded and the bar indicator also displayed on the desktop.

    C. - Then however, the 'bdselfpr.sys' file (also resides in the installed folder) caused a BSOD, again renaming this to 'bdselfpr.sxx' from safe mode prevented the BSOD and the BDTS 2010 is working having manually changed the update setting for it to "Prompt before downloading updates" which gives me the option to only download and install signature updates and avoid any product updates which would re-install the 'bdselfpr.sys'.

    D. - To be able to analyze the cause of the crash and BSOD, I need a Complete Memory Dump or an alternative best solution to obtain the diagnostic information needed.

    E. - So far all the options to create any dump file in the related documentation 'Arie' referred to, have not worked and the information contained in the referenced articles in most instances does not yield any information that could relate to a Win XP Pro SP installation.

    Further question(s)

    If I remove 3 GB of ram, will that help to bring back the Complete memory dump (obviously it should re-establish the option once I take it out and boot up the system) ?

    This still leaves me with the method by which I could create the dump file, i.e. generate a complete memory dump file.

    That I thing, is enough for this post to contemplate ;)

    Regards
    pcbugfixer
     
    pcbugfixer,
    #9
  11. 2011/10/13
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    XP is listed at the top of the page under Summary.
     
    SpywareDr,
    #10
  12. 2011/10/13
    pcbugfixer

    pcbugfixer Inactive Thread Starter

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    pcbugfixer,
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  13. 2011/10/14
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    Yep, I think that should work.
     
    Arie,
    #12
  14. 2011/10/14
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    If you were to go back to 2GB of RAM and recreate the BSOD, who are you going to get to analyze a 2GB dump file?

    (Printed you'd be talking close to 1,000 reams of paper).
     
    SpywareDr,
    #13
  15. 2011/10/14
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    If you run the dump through our tool, you'll end up with a small text file that could give you all you need.

    But it could be that BitDefender support asked him for the dump?
     
    Arie,
    #14
  16. 2011/10/14
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Cool. Thanks Arie.
     
    SpywareDr,
    #15
  17. 2011/10/14
    pcbugfixer

    pcbugfixer Inactive Thread Starter

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    Reply to Arie,

    Thanks for the input and info, looks as though I have some work to do this weekend :)

    And, - Yes, besides BirtDefender wanting the complete dump, I also wanted it to do some research into this and an other and Beta testing matters. ;)

    You did say that reducing the memory to 2GB should reestablish the Complete Dump ?

    Also, with regard to the previous item,

    "4. In the "Performance Options" -> "Advanced" -> "Virtual memory" the settings are 'Custom size' set to Initial size (MB) 5373 / and "Maximum size (MB) 12288 set on the C: drive (no other HDD contain or are set for a Paging File.
    'Total paging file size for all drives' shows as Minimum allowed: 2MB / Recommended: 5373 / Currently allocated: 5373 "

    - What should that end up being please ?

    Regards
    pcbugfixer
     
    Last edited: 2011/10/14
    pcbugfixer,
    #16
  18. 2011/10/15
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    Set it to System managed size.
     
    Arie,
    #17
  19. 2011/11/18
    pcbugfixer

    pcbugfixer Inactive Thread Starter

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    G'day Arie,

    I am waiting on BitDefender to complete their analyses and return the result to me.

    this may take some time, so they say.
    Last time I waited 7 month before I got a reply, but no fix for my issue, so don't hold your breath and neither am I ☺ ☺

    Regards
    pcbugfixer
     
    pcbugfixer,
    #18
  20. 2011/11/19
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    OK, so you should probably mark this as Resolved, since the question was how to get a complete memory dump, and I reckon you are now able to do that.

    Please mark your thread as 'Resolved'.

     
    Arie,
    #19

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