force a memory dump

[RayGo75]

running windows 7 home premium 64 bit sp1
I would like to know if there is a way to force a memory dump.
Right now my windows live mail is open and task manager says it is running but when I try to go to it's window it just goes behind the last window I had open and does not respond. I do not want to just kill it in task manager but I will if I need to.
attached is a screen shot of task manager. As you can see live mail says it is running yet I can not get to it.
i will keep it in it's current state as long as I can so a quick yes or no answer would be helpful. If the answer is yes please include instructions on how to do the memory dump.
thank you in advance.

 

[panais]

running windows 7 home premium 64 bit sp1
I would like to know if there is a way to force a memory dump.
Right now my windows live mail is open and task manager says it is running but when I try to go to it's window it just goes behind the last window I had open and does not respond. I do not want to just kill it in task manager but I will if I need to.
attached is a screen shot of task manager. As you can see live mail says it is running yet I can not get to it.
i will keep it in it's current state as long as I can so a quick yes or no answer would be helpful. If the answer is yes please include instructions on how to do the memory dump.
thank you in advance.

Hi RayGo75
Please for first step run a http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html
Download,install,update,scan with SUPERAntiSpyware.com - Downloading File
Download,install,update,scan with Malwarebytes : Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a free download that removes viruses and malware from your computer

To enable minidumps follow these steps http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/174459-dump-files-configure-windows-create-bsod.html

To upload minidumps follow these steps http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/96879-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html

 

[RayGo75]

Thank you for your reply but that is not what I asked.
I would like to know if there is a way to cause windows to take a memory dump of the system while it is running.
I would like this information so that when windows hangs (as it has done on me in the past few weeks) or a program stops working but looks to task manager as if it is working happens again. I would like a command or key sequence to execute to cause windows to take a memory dump. Then I could process the dump as in your last comment and get it analyzed here.
Once again if what I am asking is not possible just let me know and I will close this thread as solved. If you do not know if it is possible to do this please pass it on to someone who might know if it can be done.

One thing you should know I am a retired UINX admin who worked in the computer field for over 23 years, I have seen it all and been involved in supporting it as well.

 

[Anak]

Hi! RayGo75, welcome to 7F

There are two ways to deliberately cause a system crash: Forcing a System Crash from the Debugger
Forcing a System Crash from the Keyboard

Source: Forcing a System Crash

The bottom link will take you here: Forcing a System Crash from the Keyboard


EDIT:

Ray I am not exactly sure, but I think you may also need windbg to read any dump you do create.

There is BlueScreenView, but that may not be sufficient to do the job.

System Requirements

• BlueScreenView works with Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, and Windows 7, as long as Windows is configured to save minidump files during BSOD crashes. If your system doesn't create MiniDump files on a blue screen crash, try to configure it according to the following article: How to configure Windows to create MiniDump files on BSOD
• BlueScreenView can read the MiniDump files of both 32-bit and x64 systems.

Source: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html

 

[RayGo75]

Thank you that is what I wanted to know.
I have one more question (an answer generating a question, happens all the time).
In the instructions on enabling the keyboard dump it says after enabling dump files (already did that) in the registery set up an entry for using the right hand ctrl key and the scroll lock key. My keyboard does not have a scroll lock key. I have a Num Lock key but no scroll lock key. My keyboard has a seperate numeric keypad so what key do I use instead of the scroll lock key?
Further down there are instructions to map your own key sequence. The first key is well defined in the table but the second key gives values to use but does not tell you what key goes with what values. I would like to use that option if I can but I do not know what value to put in for say the backspace key.

 

[Anak]

Thank you that is what I wanted to know.
I have one more question (an answer generating a question, happens all the time).
In the instructions on enabling the keyboard dump it says after enabling dump files (already did that) in the registery set up an entry for using the right hand ctrl key and the scroll lock key. My keyboard does not have a scroll lock key. I have a Num Lock key but no scroll lock key. My keyboard has a seperate numeric keypad so what key do I use instead of the scroll lock key?

I am not sure. You may have to get/borrow a keyboard that has one.

Further down there are instructions to map your own key sequence. The first key is well defined in the table but the second key gives values to use but does not tell you what key goes with what values. I would like to use that option if I can but I do not know what value to put in for say the backspace key.

Which keys do you mean? Dump1Keys or Dump2Keys?

To be honest, it may be just as easy to do one of these reports, and myself or one of the other members can read it for you. http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/96879-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html

 

[Anak]

I received an answer from Brink about what you are trying to accomplish, Click here for his reply, and I thought some more about your situation.

In order for http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/96879-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html to work you would have to have an actual crash, so that would not work.

I then approached your problem from a different direction, and searched if there were any results for:

'windows live mail is running but not responding'

Your problem may be due to an update back on 1-11-2011.
Microsoft's (MS) reasoning for for KB2454826

View attachment 164968

MS response when users started to complain 'Windows live mail (WLM) is running but not responding'.
Scroll down a bit, there is an automatic FixIt at this link.
This FixIt is dependent if:

This issue can be caused if all the following scenarios apply on your Windows computer:

• You have Intel integrated graphics driver Igdkmd32.sys (32-bit) / Igdkmd64.sys (64-bit) versions 8.15.10.2104 through 8.15.10.2141
• You have Windows Update KB2454826 installed on your computer
• You are using Windows Live Mail versions 15.4 and later

Source is at above link.

I have it, but I do not use WLM, so I have not noticed it.

As I see it there are two ways you can look at this:
You can un-install KB2454826 if you have it, and not worry about it. Make sure you do it in Safe Mode, and your machine is restarted!

Or use the FixIt, but MS is telling you, you will have to update your intel drivers.

p.s. Thank you for putting your system specs in.


EDIT:

I missed these two links, some good reading on KB2454826:

Microsoft pulls another botched auto update patch, KB 2454826 @ AskWoody.com

The real reason for botched patch KB 2454826 @ AskWoody.com

 

[panais]

Also a safe and a good idea is to enable the driver verifier.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/101379-driver-verifier-enable-disable.html
------------------
Personally though i dont like the idea to force a bsod.

 

[cluberti]

In the instructions on enabling the keyboard dump it says after enabling dump files (already did that) in the registery set up an entry for using the right hand ctrl key and the scroll lock key. My keyboard does not have a scroll lock key. I have a Num Lock key but no scroll lock key. My keyboard has a seperate numeric keypad so what key do I use instead of the scroll lock key?.

Forcing a System Crash from the Keyboard

If you look closely, there are reg values that you can use to configure which keys can be used first. However, the second key must be scroll lock (there's a reason for this, and it has to do with the way the keyboard driver works with all different types of keyboard layouts). Anyway, there are other tools you can use if you can actually use the machine you want to crash, and it isn't totally hung - my favorite is notmyfault, from sysinternals. You can run notmyfault and cause a bugcheck as well.

 

[cluberti]

Microsoft pulls another botched auto update patch, KB 2454826 @ AskWoody.com

The real reason for botched patch KB 2454826 @ AskWoody.com

It's probably worth noting that the fixes for this were due to video driver issues, not a problem with Microsoft's code, but that is neither here nor there. The author got the part about the bugchecks right, but not the reasons.

Oh well.

 

[RayGo75]

let me answer these in the order that I got them.
Anak: The Dump2Keys. It shows a table of values but does not tell you what key goes with what value.
Anak: My igdkmd64.sys driver is version 8.15.10.2279 so I am outside the range of bad ones.
panais: I have enabled driver verifier as per your instructions did a reboot, no BSOD yet.
Cluberti: I downloaded the notmyfault software and unzipped it. Not sure how this will help on a system that is totally hung and unresponsive but one more tool for the tool box.

Thank you all for your input and ideas.
I will let you know what happens if I have another hung system and I try to dump memory.

 

[cluberti]

If the box is totally unresponsive, you have no choice but to use the keyboard (or NMI, but that's usually found mostly on servers). If you can find a PS/2 keyboard to attach temporarily, that would be very helpful.

 

[Anak]

let me answer these in the order that I got them.
Anak: The Dump2Keys. It shows a table of values but does not tell you what key goes with what value.
Anak: My igdkmd64.sys driver is version 8.15.10.2279 so I am outside the range of bad ones.

Thank you all for your input and ideas.
I will let you know what happens if I have another hung system and I try to dump memory.

Take a look at this thread ntdev member 7928's message 3 of 5 explains it in more detail.
If you need a deeper explanation cluberti would be the one to ask.

Good to hear your driver is okay.