This article describes Dumpchk.exe, which is a command-line utility that you can use to verify that a memory dump file has been created correctly. Dumpchk does not require access to symbols.

Dumpchk is located on the Windows XP CD-ROM. Install the Support Tools by running Setup.exe from the Support\Tools folder on the CD-ROM. By default, Dumpchk.exe is installed to the Program Files\Support Tools folder.

Dumpchk has the following command-line options:

   DUMPCHK [options] <CrashDumpFile>

     -? Displays the command syntax.

     -p Prints the header only (with no validation).

     -v Specifies verbose mode.

     -q Performs a quick test. Not available in Windows XP.
				

Additional options are available in the Windows XP version of Dumpchk.exe:

    -c Does dump validation.

    -x Does extra file validation; takes several minutes.

    -e Does dump exam.

    -y <Path> Sets the symbol search path for a dump exam. 
       If the symbol search path is empty, the CD-ROM
       is used for symbols.

    -b <Path> Sets the image search path for a dump exam.
       If the symbol search path is empty, %SystemRoot%\System32
       is used for symbols.

    -k <File> Sets the name of the kernel to File.

    -h <File> Sets the name of the HAL to File.
				

Dumpchk displays some basic information from the memory dump file, then verifies all the virtual and physical addresses in the file. If any errors are found in the memory dump file, Dumpchk reports them. The following is an example of the output of a Dumpchk command:

   Filename . . . . . . .Memory.dmp
   Signature. . . . . . .PAGE
   ValidDump. . . . . . .DUMP
   MajorVersion . . . . .free system
   MinorVersion . . . . .1057
   DirectoryTableBase . .0x00030000
   PfnDataBase. . . . . .0xffbae000
   PsLoadedModuleList . .0x801463d0
   PsActiveProcessHead. .0x801462c8
   MachineImageType . . .i386
   NumberProcessors . . .1
   BugCheckCode . . . . .0xc000021a
   BugCheckParameter1 . .0xe131d948
   BugCheckParameter2 . .0x00000000
   BugCheckParameter3 . .0x00000000
   BugCheckParameter4 . .0x00000000

   ExceptionCode. . . . .0x80000003
   ExceptionFlags . . . .0x00000001
   ExceptionAddress . . .0x80146e1c

   NumberOfRuns . . . . .0x3
   NumberOfPages. . . . .0x1f5e
   Run #1
     BasePage . . . . . .0x1
     PageCount. . . . . .0x9e
   Run #2
     BasePage . . . . . .0x100
     PageCount. . . . . .0xec0
   Run #3
     BasePage . . . . . .0x1000
     PageCount. . . . . .0x1000


   **************
   **************--> Validating the integrity of the PsLoadedModuleList
   **************

   **************
   **************--> Performing a complete check (^C to end)
   **************
   **************
   **************--> Validating all physical addresses
   **************
   **************
   **************--> Validating all virtual addresses
   **************
   **************
   **************--> This dump file is good!
   **************
				

If there is an error during any portion of the output, the dump file is corrupted and analysis cannot be performed.

In this example, the most important information (from a debugging standpoint) is the following portion of the Dumpchk output:

   MajorVersion . . . . .free system
   MinorVersion . . . . .1057
   MachineImageType . . .i386
   NumberProcessors . . .1
   BugCheckCode . . . . .0xc000021a
   BugCheckParameter1 . .0xe131d948
   BugCheckParameter2 . .0x00000000
   BugCheckParameter3 . .0x00000000
   BugCheckParameter4 . .0x00000000
				

You can use this information to determine what kernel Stop error occurred and, to a certain extent, what version of Windows was in use.