What is a .dmp file

[Melissa]

Dear Forum,

In one of my files on my computer - I have notice a .dmp file.

I can not open it.

What are the properties and how is it created?

 

[marsmimar]

DMP, or .dmp, files are essentially crash reports called "dump files" that Windows makes when it stops working. It contains information related to your system at the time of the crash so that technicians or tech support individuals can read it and try to determine what caused the incident. These files are generated by Windows when it stops working unexpectedly. Like a "Blue Screen of Death" or "BSOD." This is the standard error screen for a system failure in Windows and presents itself as a blue screen full of white text.

This tutorial explains more about dump files and how to configure Windows 7 to create them.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/174459-dump-files-configure-windows-create-bsod.html

And this tutorial explains more about how to post BSODs.

http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/96879-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html

And finally, some info about how to analyze dump files, the debugging tools that are needed, identifying driver issues, etc.

Crash and lockup debug 'How To' - Windows 7 Forums