How to open a memory.dmp file in Visual Studio 2012

Question

In previous Visual Studio versions it was possible to open a .dmp file. See link:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fk551230(v=vs.100).aspx

But there's no option for VS 2012 in the version picker combo on that MSDN page. Empirically, I cannot open these files in 2012 Ultimate, the IDE tells me:

The is no editor available for 'C:\Windows\MEMORY.DMP'. Make sure the application for the file type (.DMP) is installed.

Is the fact that I can't open it and that there's no documented support a coincidence?

Uncoil

If you don't see "Dump Files" in the combobox on the File + Open + File dialog above the Open and Cancel buttons then the install didn't go well. – Shalandashale

I have the same problem in Visual Studio 2013 – Serbocroatian

Answer 1

You have to install Debugging Tools for Windows, which are part of the Windows SDK. You can install just a standalone Debugging Tools, you don't have to install the whole SDK. See for example these resources:

• Debugging Tools for Windows (WinDbg, KD, CDB, NTSD)
• Use Dump Files to Debug App Crashes and Hangs in Visual Studio
• How to Analyze a BSOD Crash Dump

You can download Standalone Debugging Tools for Windows or the whole Windows SDK.

If you need just to quickly inspect a minidump, you can use the great small utility BlueScreenView from Nirsoft. It's simple, doesn't even require an installation or any dependencies (you don't need Debugging Tools) and can display everything what a minidump contains. It's better for just finding out possible causes of BSOD, for any further debugging use Debugging Tools.

Mar

Fantastic to get a good answer after all this time, and the BlueScreenView looks very useful, too. – Uncoil

@LukePuplett I'm glad it help you. I was looking for the same thing, so I have found your question. And when I have solved it, I thought it would be good to post an answer to your question. Not for you, because I guess you have solved it already long time ago, but mainly for the others. Because if it would be there before, I could solve it much earlier :) – Rhombohedron

Answer 2

For Visual Studio 2022, to open a .NET memory dump, install the following individual components:

• .NET profiling tools
• Windows SDK

Vanegas

Answer 3

If you're looking to do this in Visual Studio 2013, and wonder why Dawid's answer doesn't seem to fix your issue, you're probably going to have to open the DMP file from within VS2013 by selecting "File->Open->File..." if you were double-clicking.

I could not open DMP files automatically with VS2013, getting the same error as Puplett.

Largeminded

Wait. Sorry, but how else would you like to open it? What exactly do you mean by automatically? Open it automatically always when application crashes and dump file is created? – Rhombohedron

You can't double-click a .DMP with VS2013 and load it the same way you would be selecting open->file, your dump. I added clarification to the answer. – Largeminded

Oh, got it, sorry. But that's not much related to the OP's question. You can associate any file extension with any application you like of course (Control Panel > Default Programs > Associate a file type or protocol with a program, associate the .dmp with any version of Visual Studio you want and you will open there any .dmp file by executing it). But even if you associate it, without the Debugging tools installed, Visual Studio will just refuse to open it. File type association and actual application's ability to open the specific file type are completely unrelated things. – Rhombohedron

You can try to associate let say the .zip file type with the mspaint.exe application (Paint) and try to execute any .zip file. MS Paint will be executed, but it'll refuse to open the .zip file because it doesn't understand such format. But still if for example .jpeg is associated with anything else than Paint, you can open it there using the Open dialog. – Rhombohedron

Even with the debugging tools, Visual Studio will not correctly load it automatically. The only way I've been able to process DMPs has been to manually open the file from within the IDE as a file. – Largeminded