"Complete Memory Dump" - Windows will not start.

[linney]

Is it possible for me to obtain a "complete memory dump" when the machine is not booting fully into Windows? If it is, I might need some help to set it up to do so (a link would be helpful).

Everything I have tried to obtain a "complete memory dump" just leaves me with a small memory dump in the minidump folder. There is nothing in the Windows folder called Memory.dmp.

I have set the appropriate option in Startup Recovery, I have even created a "dedicateddumpfile" via the Registry. Is there anything to dump if Windows wont boot (other than the actual machine itself)?

If it is not actually booting (I only see the Starting Windows screen, where it hangs and gets no further) what memory is it able to dump if Windows has not loaded?

When I boot into Safe Mode, the only option available it tells me that there was a Stop Error (bugcheck 124, no BSOD is given because it probably doesn't get far enough into Windows). This error is not my concern as I know the cause to be hardware related and disabling hardware fixes it, I would just like to know about the "Complete Memory Dump" side of things.

With only one GB of memory, and with zipping prior to uploading to Microsoft, what size of file upload might I expect to see if it is possible to create a "complete memory dump"?

Thank you for any assistance with my problem.

 

[Nelviticus]

Does this help with getting a complete memory dump?
how do you get a full memory dump on Seven

I can answer some of your other questions:

Is there anything to dump if Windows wont boot (other than the actual machine itself)?

Yes, a complete dump would mean the entire contents of the memory, even if it's mostly zeroes.

With only one GB of memory, and with zipping prior to uploading to Microsoft, what size of file upload might I expect to see if it is possible to create a "complete memory dump"?

It depends but if not much memory is in use then it'll be mostly zeroes so any zipper will be able to compress it heavily. I just created an empty 100MB file and WinZip was able to compress it down to 99.5kB. 7-Zip got it down to 14.6kB!

Nelviticus

 

[linney]

Thanks for your reply and I will look into your links.

I guess what has me scratching my head a bit is the question, at what point in time during the loading of Windows does the "complete memory dump" become an available option?

In my case, Windows is able to report a bugcheck at next boot into Safe Mode, and also produce a small memory dump, so I would have thought that it would have loaded far enough in to do the complete memory dump? I know that the small memory dump is the default action for Windows, so am I loading it far enough to just get that action but no more?