Open a dump file with WinDbg

There are several ways you can use WinDbg to open a crash memory dump file to debug code.

WinDbg menu

If WinDbg is already running and is in dormant mode, you can open a dump file by choosing Open crash dump from the File menu or by pressing CTRL+D. When the Open crash dump dialog box appears, enter the full path and name of the crash dump file in the File name box, or use the dialog box to select the proper path and file name. When the proper file has been chosen, select Open.

Command prompt

In a command-prompt window, you can open a dump file when you launch WinDbg. Use the following command:

windbg -y <SymbolPath> -i <ImagePath> -z <DumpFileName>

The -v option, which is verbose mode, is also useful. For more information about command-line syntax, see WinDbg command-line options.

Debugger command window

If WinDbg is already in a kernel-mode debugging session, you can open a dump file by using the .opendump (open dump file) command, followed by the g (Go) command.