How to view a Microsoft mini dump error log

littlerock

Well despite a week in the local PC Repair shop, OH's desktop PC came home apparently error free and started crashing randomly again with the BSOD and everyone is baffled. They assured me at the PC shop they had tested and indeed swapped out to test all likely faulty components eg RAM cards. The only possible problem was the wifi card so that has been temporarily removed while we tried it out at home.

At the shop it did not crash. Currently it is only running up to date versions of Windows 7, Outlook and Office 365 at present, nothing else, to see if it is stable without any other apps. Sadly the answer is no. It is only just two years old and the guy at the shop says it is good spec and well built. .

Yet still the problem persists. Today it crashed when he was online to a social media site he belongs to, posting a message, so not using either Outlook or Office.

Anyway I ran Action Center and it reported an error at 10:54

"Windows shut down unexpectedly. Files that help describe the problem
091117-22588-01.dmp
WERInternalMedia Metadata.xml
View a temporary copy of these files <I Clicked>
Windows is extracting a temporary copy of these files"

However the screen refreshed without a file or files appearing and I have no idea where they might be stored on the PC. Can anyone tell me how to view them.

Also could it be something else external like the screen mouse or keyboard? These did not go to the PC shop as they used their own to test it.

JJ_Egan

See
http://www.solvusoft.com/en/files/error-missing-download/xml/windows/microsoft-corporation/microsoft-windows/wer72b0-tmp-werinternalmetadata-xml/


https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-performance/blue-screen-error-werinternalmetadataxml/2a696f1e-ee22-4b75-9835-e75773f5f4e8?auth=1

https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=firefox-b&dcr=0&q=WERInternalMetadata&spell=1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjnlbPOnaDWAhVEB8AKHZKEBqAQBQgjKAA&biw=1280&bih=875

littlerock

I have had a look at this but most of it might as well be in Klingon. What are WerInternalMedia Metadata.xml files? What are they used for? One of the suggested fixes is to scan them for windows registry errors. Another is to uninstall and reinstall the Windows program associated with these files How are you supposed to do this.?

forgotmyname

xml files are just data like html files

the xml files will have data pointing to why it crashed.

They are not the problem themselves.

Check Event Viewer.

were

the google search term is "debug windows minidump"

Intermittent errors are a pita.

To be honest I have never known anyone to get a useful diagnostic result from crash dumps.

At best it is an educated guess, and you start to change the most obvious items first.

Ages ago when Dell had problem PC the changed the cpu, memory and motherboard in one go - they were warranty jobs. Even after doing this on rare occasions the problem still had not vanished.

For them to get to the bottom of this problem you will probably have to be very patient. It might also no be financially viable for the company, or you to fix the fault, especially if it is motherboard or CPU

psychic_teabag

were wrote: »

To be honest I have never known anyone to get a useful diagnostic result from crash dumps.

They are very useful to developers, esp. windows driver developers. With the right tools, you can figure out what went wrong.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/de!!!!!!/crash-dump-files

joeypesci

littlerock wrote: »

Well despite a week in the local PC Repair shop, OH's desktop PC came home apparently error free and started crashing randomly again with the BSOD and everyone is baffled. They assured me at the PC shop they had tested and indeed swapped out to test all likely faulty components eg RAM cards. The only possible problem was the wifi card so that has been temporarily removed while we tried it out at home.

At the shop it did not crash. Currently it is only running up to date versions of Windows 7, Outlook and Office 365 at present, nothing else, to see if it is stable without any other apps. Sadly the answer is no. It is only just two years old and the guy at the shop says it is good spec and well built. .

Yet still the problem persists. Today it crashed when he was online to a social media site he belongs to, posting a message, so not using either Outlook or Office.

Anyway I ran Action Center and it reported an error at 10:54

"Windows shut down unexpectedly. Files that help describe the problem
091117-22588-01.dmp
WERInternalMedia Metadata.xml
View a temporary copy of these files <I Clicked>
Windows is extracting a temporary copy of these files"

However the screen refreshed without a file or files appearing and I have no idea where they might be stored on the PC. Can anyone tell me how to view them.

Also could it be something else external like the screen mouse or keyboard? These did not go to the PC shop as they used their own to test it.

Reading crash dumps is a dark art but can be done. You do need to be a bit technical though. Anyway, Mark Russinovich has some good videos on this.

https://youtu.be/9oBxAt5L_mg?t=1h13m39s

I'm having random crashes on my main PC now and done a number of tests. I've put it down to three issues it could be. Two HDDs that are failing under tests (one has my Windows profile on which does help confirm it could be that causes the crashes) but also the power supply might be on it's way out as I'm getting various complete shut downs.

Might be the same your end. The HDDs might have faults and they may not have checked them. And/or the power supply might be failing.

joeypesci

were wrote: »

the google search term is "debug windows minidump"

Intermittent errors are a pita.

To be honest I have never known anyone to get a useful diagnostic result from crash dumps.

At best it is an educated guess, and you start to change the most obvious items first.

Ages ago when Dell had problem PC the changed the cpu, memory and motherboard in one go - they were warranty jobs. Even after doing this on rare occasions the problem still had not vanished.

For them to get to the bottom of this problem you will probably have to be very patient. It might also no be financially viable for the company, or you to fix the fault, especially if it is motherboard or CPU

Microsoft engineers use the crash dump files all the time. If you know what you're doing, they are quite useful and can point you to the driver (normally is a faulty driver) causing the issue.

joeypesci

Another video just about crash dumps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rGS5fYGtJ4

AndyPix

What are the words (The stop error) on the BSOD ?

littlerock

need to check with OH who is out at present but I think some of the time at least it just appears to shut down without warning but always while it is in use. It did not fall over at all in the repair shop where I understand they just left it running for an extended period after they completed their tests.