Tracker Software Products :: Knowledge Base :: create a dump file and send it to Tracker-Software for investigation?

KB459
Apr 20, 2020 01:18 PM
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How do I create a dump file and send it to Tracker-Software for investigation?

Symptoms

I have a repetitive crash or hang and tracker software has asked me to send them a dump file.

Solutions

These Dump files can be very large, and may not fit into an email, you can send a download link if you have a personal sever (such as dropbox), or Use Our Upload Server.

Our Support Team will either ask you to Create a Process dump (details in the final section), or a Crash dump (detailed in the section below), depending on your exact issue. Please ensure that you use the correct method.

Creating Dump Files

This process is can be performed in a few ways, we have prepared steps for experienced users who wish to know exactly what is being changed in the "hands-on method". We have also included much simpler "hands-off method" for users who wish to quickly finish the process. Please follow the steps in your desired section.

If the application is Crashing, this means Closing entirely without any warning or error message first appearing, you will be asked to create a "Crash Dump". Please follow the steps in one of the next two sections for these cases.

Crash Dump Registry Edit (Hands-on method)

By default Local Dumps are disabled in Windows. We need to both enable them and set them to FullDumps. We will also specify a subfolder in which to store these dumps so as to keep them separate from other dumps and make them easy to find.

Open regedit.exe and navigate to this location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting

If LocalDumps does not exist under Windows Error Reporting, you must create it by right clicking on Windows Error reporting-->New-->Key: be sure to name the new key "LocalDumps". This will enable crash dumps (specifically mini-dumps) globally for all applications.

We want to create per application settings for PDF-XChange and set that to full dumps so we must create another subkey for these settings. Right click the Key "LocalDumps" --> New --> Key and call this key "PDFXEdit.exe". This allows us to create dump settings specific to this executable. For getting full dumps of our other applications replace PDFXEdit.exe with the executable name that is crashing (PDFXTools.exe, PDFXCview.exe, pdfSaverL.exe, pdfSaver.exe, TrackerUpdate.exe, etc).

For details on creating per application dumps see this Microsoft article.

The default is to create mini-dumps and we need full-dumps, so within the PDFXEdit.exe key create a REG_DWORD called DumpType and give it a value of 2:

Also in the PDFXEdit.exe key, create a new "Expandable String Value" item called DumpFolder and give it the value "%LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps\PDFX"

Now your crash dumps will be full dumps in the folder "%LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps\PDFX"

2. Restart the machine

This is crucial to the process working, if you do not restart the reg key will not go into effect. Please save and close all open documents beforehand.

3. Reproduce the crash

4. Locate the crash dump file

Go to file explorer and type %LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps into the address bar. Look for the subfolder that matches your product, find the most recent (order by date modified)

5. Send the Crash dump to support

Send the email to support@tracker-software.comor Use our UserUploads Server.

6. (Optional) Stop logging crash dumps for PDF-XChange products

To stop saving crash dumps for PDF-XChange products simply remove the per application sub-keys of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps or apply this reg key to do the same. https://www.tracker-software.com/StopLoggingPDFX.zip

Crash Dump Registry File (Hands-off method)

Download and extract the registry key from the appropriate ZIP archive(s) below. Right click and select Open (depending on your version of Windows, the option may be Run or Merge instead):

Product	Executable name	Reg file	Dump Folder
PDF-XChange Editor	PDFXEdit.exe	https://www.tracker-software.com/PDFX_FullDump.zip	%LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps\PDFX
PDF-Tools	PDFXTools.exe	https://www.tracker-software.com/PDFT_FullDump.zip	%LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps\PDFT
Standard Print Driver	pdfSaver.exe	https://www.tracker-software.com/PDFS_FullDump.zip	%LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps\PDFS
Lite Print Driver	pdfSaverL.exe	https://www.tracker-software.com/PDFSL_FullDump.zip	%LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps\PDFSL
PDF-XChange Viewer	PDFXCview.exe	https://www.tracker-software.com/PDFV_FullDump.zip	%LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps\PDFV

Now your crash dumps will be full dumps in the Dump Folder listed above.

2. Restart the machine

This is crucial to the process working, if you do not restart the reg key will not go into effect. Please save and close all open documents beforehand.

3. Reproduce the crash

4. Locate the crash dump file

Go to file explorer and type %LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps into the address bar. Look for the subfolder that matches your product, find the most recent (order by date modified)

5. Send the Crash dump to support

Send the email to support@tracker-software.comor Use our UserUploads Server.

6. (Optional) Stop logging crash dumps for PDF-XChange products

If instead, the application is Freezing, Hanging, or otherwise becoming unresponsive without immediately closing, we will ask you for a "Process Dump". Please follow the steps in the lower section here for these cases. If you see any error messages at the same time, please include screenshots of those error messages as well.

Process Dump

This dump MUST be created while the program is open, AND your issue is present, otherwise there will likely be no data in the created file to identify your issue.

1. Create the dump using the Task manager

Begin by opening the task manager with CTRL+Shift+Esc. Then click the More Details button in the bottom corner.

2. Create the dump file

By Right-Clicking on the process, and then clicking on Create Dump.
(note that the screenshot below is an example for those with printer issues, locate the application that you are having troubles with, such as PDF-XChange Editor or PDF-Tools)

3. Locate the Dump File

Give the program a minute to create the dump file, then copy the location from the dialog

4.Send the Crash dump to support

Send the email to support@tracker-software.comor Use Our Upload Server

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