CRASH Test

Note  This content applies to the Windows Logo Kit (WLK). For the latest information using the new Windows Hardware Certification Kit (HCK), see Windows HCK User's Guide on the Windows Hardware Dev Center.

Type: Automated Test

Overview

The CRASH test is a system stability test that runs for a specified time. If the system does not stop responding (hang) or encounter bug check during this specified time, the test is considered a Pass.

Details

The Comparative Reliability Analysis of Software and Hardware (CRASH) test runs a specified length of time based on the profiles that are provided. The Windows 7 profiles include more information than others, but the main difference between the profiles is the amount of time set aside for the test to run.

During the CRASH test, several applications start and stop repeatedly. The applications do not need to survive the given time frame to have the overall test be considered a Pass. However, the graphic adapter must not TDR while the test is running. If a failure happens during a test that is related to a TDR, the failure information is captured in the cleanup task TDRWatch. Additional information about the CRASH test, including information about how to run it outside of the Device Test Manager (DTM) test harness, can be found in the CRASH folder. This folder is located on the DTM Controller under: %TestBinRoot%\tests\x86fre\nttest\windowstest\graphics\tests\CRASH.

CRASH Jobs

The Windows Logo Kit (WLK) includes four different versions of the CRASH job. Only a few are attributed for logo. The main difference between the CRASH versions is the length of runtime, which is indicated in the title:

  • CRASH - Display Stress 2-Hour WDDM Profile

  • CRASH - Display Stress 4-Hour WDDM Profile

  • CRASH - Display Stress 12-Hour WDDM Profile (Not included in any logo program)

  • CRASH - Legacy Display Stress

Run Time: 1-12 hours

Log File: CrashOutput.wtl

System Restart Required: No

Supported operating systems for Logo or Signature testing:

  • Windows 7

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • Windows Server 2008

  • Windows Vista

  • Windows Server 2008

Requirements

Software Requirements

The test tool requires the following software:

  • One of the supported operating systems in the previous list
  • Software components included with the device that is being tested.

Hardware Requirements

  • Device to be tested.
  • Computer that meets the minimum software requirements.
  • Windows keyboard.
  • Two-button pointing device.
  • Color display monitor that has at least 1024 by 768 resolution, 32-bits per pixel, 60 Hz.
  • Hard drive with a minimum of 20 GB available on partition C:

Processor

  • x86
  • x64

Troubleshooting CRASH Test Failures

To determine the profile that was run, review the first statement of the test log to find out how long it took for the test to run.

  1. To do this, go to the log file and locate the start time of the test, which is about 15 lines from the top.

  2. Next, scroll to the bottom of the log and locate the end time, which is the last line above the Runtime row. If the total time is less than what you expected for the profile to be run, the system stopped responding (hung) or rebooted during the test. To resolve the problem, connect the system to a debugger and rerun the test.

CRASH log oddities

In log files for failed tests, the following messages will be displayed:

  • TRIAGE: Unable to create path for dump archive. Error Code: 3 - The system cannot find the path specified.

  • TRIAGE: Bad Dump file archive path specified. Using CRASH.exe location.

  • TRIAGE: Dump file archive folder already exists.

  • No dump file found, result = Hung.

These messages are in error and do not contribute to the actual failure of the test. In addition, the CrashDump file is not included in the results.

The CRASH test should run for 1 to12 hours, depending on the job being executed. A test pass either runs to completion or not. If it does not, it is either because the system stopped responding (hung) or generated a bug check with no warning. If the system generates a bug check, there will be a .dmp file generated by the system. The CRASH test looks this .dmp file in the location that is specified by the system. If there is no .dmp file, either the system stopped responding (hung), the user rebooted with no warning, or the system generated a bugcheck but a user interrupted the .dmp generation. There is no way for the CRASH test to determine what the user did, so the test responds as if the system stopped responding. To determine what is causing the test to stop prematurely and fail, run the test under a kernel mode debugger.

 

 

Build date: 9/14/2012