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Enabling User Mode Dumps

Overview​

User mode dump files capture the memory state and execution context when a program crashes. They're invaluable diagnostic tools that help Tricerat Support identify the exact cause of unexpected program termination - whether it's a memory access violation, unhandled exception, or other critical error.

When you're working with Tricerat Support to troubleshoot a crashing application, they'll often request that you enable user mode dumps. This guide shows you how to configure Windows Error Reporting to automatically generate these dump files.

Prerequisites​

  • Administrator privileges on the target machine
  • Sufficient disk space (dump files can be 50-500 MB depending on the application)

Configuring Dump Collection​

You'll configure Windows Error Reporting through the registry to automatically capture dump files when any program crashes. Here's what you need to do:

  1. Create the registry key if it doesn't already exist:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps

  2. Set the dump folder location by adding a REG_EXPAND_SZ value named DumpFolder:

    C:\ProgramData\Tricerat\Logs

    This keeps dump files alongside your regular ScrewDrivers log files, which makes collection easier. When you're ready to send files to Support, you can use the ScrewDrivers Logs utility to zip everything together.

  3. Limit dump retention by adding a REG_DWORD value named DumpCount set to 5. This prevents your disk from filling up - Windows will keep only the five most recent dumps.

  4. Set the dump type by adding a REG_DWORD value named DumpType set to 2. Value 2 creates a "mini dump with full memory," which captures enough detail for debugging without creating enormous files.

  5. Skip CustomDumpType - don't add this value. The DumpType setting handles everything you need.

Activating the Configuration​

You must restart the machine for these registry changes to take effect. After reboot, Windows Error Reporting will automatically generate dump files in C:\ProgramData\Tricerat\Logs whenever any program crashes.

Collecting and Sending Dumps​

When you've reproduced the crash:

  1. Open the ScrewDrivers Logs utility
  2. Create a ZIP archive that includes both log files and dump files
  3. Upload the ZIP to your support ticket

Additional Information​

Unexpected Benefit

You might be surprised by how many non-Tricerat programs crash! You can send these dump files to other software vendors for their debugging efforts.