Which Tools Can Be Used to Analyze Memory Dumps in Windows

Which Tools Can Be Used to Analyze Memory Dumps in Windows

When a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) appears in Windows 11, 10, or other versions of the system, the OS usually creates a memory dump automatically. These files contain debugging information that helps you understand what caused the crash.

Although developers typically handle the detailed analysis of such files, memory dumps can also be useful for regular users. For example, they can help you identify which driver or application triggered the error. For this purpose, there are several tools designed specifically for memory dump analysis — let’s take a closer look at them.

WinDbg

WinDbg is Microsoft’s official tool for debugging and analyzing memory dumps. It’s the most powerful option on this list and is primarily intended for developers and Windows support specialists.

The program can deeply inspect the contents of a dump, showing which process crashed, which drivers were involved, and which modules were running at the moment of failure.

A report may include:

  • the process name (PROCESS_NAME) where the crash was recorded;

  • the driver or module name (IMAGE_NAME) potentially related to the BSoD;

  • additional diagnostic details, including the FAILURE_BUCKET_ID and memory addresses.

Even without digging into technical details, seeing the name of the process or driver gives you a starting point: you can check what device it belongs to, what it does, and whether it needs to be updated, removed, or disabled.

BSoD Analyzer

WinDbg provides the most comprehensive output, but its raw results are not easy for everyone to read. To bridge this gap, the online service BSoD Analyzer was created. It automatically processes Windows minidumps using WinDbg and then passes the results to a language model (LLM), which transforms the technical output into a more understandable explanation.

The final report usually includes:

  • the likely cause of the BSoD (driver, module, or process);

  • explanations of what might have triggered the crash;

  • recommended next steps;

  • the option to save the report together with the raw WinDbg output.

However, keep in mind that language models can make mistakes or even invent details. The creator of the service actively fixes issues as they arise, but errors cannot be completely ruled out. So if the report suggests removing a specific third-party driver, it’s a good idea to double-check what it does and consider the consequences.

BlueScreenView

BlueScreenView is a compact and straightforward utility for viewing the contents of minidumps. It displays a list of dump files and highlights the drivers and modules that may have caused the BSoD.

Often, the report will show only ntoskrnl.exe or other core system files — which indicates that the crash occurred at the kernel level but doesn’t point to a specific culprit. Still, in cases involving more obvious issues, such as video driver failures, the information from BlueScreenView may be enough to identify the problematic component and continue diagnostics.

WhoCrashed

WhoCrashed is another tool for analyzing memory dumps. In the free version, it provides a basic set of data: error codes and a short explanation in English describing what these codes mean and which issues are commonly associated with them.

The program is aimed at users who want a brief summary of their crashes without diving into a detailed analysis.

Whichever tool you choose, the goal is the same — to understand which driver, device, or application contributed to the blue screen. After that, the next steps usually involve checking for updates, looking up information about the component, and making careful decisions: whether to remove it, update it, disable it, or hand the diagnosis over to a specialist.