How to set Windows to create a dedicated dump file without having a page file?

Question

According to Microsoft:

Computers that are running Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Windows Server usually must have a page file to support a system crash dump. System administrators can now create a dedicated dump file instead.

A dedicated dump file is a page file that isn't used for paging. Instead, it is "dedicated" to back a system crash dump file ... use a dedicated dump file if you want a system crash dump but you don't want a page file.

However, the page I linked above, though it has some links, doesn't seem to have a link to a page showing how to set this dedicated dump file without a page file.

So how is it done?

Answer 1

System Control Panel > Advanced tab > Startup and Recovery > Settings:

System failure:

• Select Complete memory dump from the drop down list
• Specify the file path in the Dump file text box

Answer 2

In Addtion to Greg Askew Answer,

Additionally said, a complete memory dump could take a long time when a lot of memory is installed and the target disk is slow. I.e. You can figure it out by dividing 16GB (which is 16384MB) by 120MB/s, which is equivalent to 3 minutes (or to be exact 137sec) on a standard SATA-HDD for an additional reboot time. Which might be critical and should be considered if you are talking about servers like databases or hyper-V servers with, for example, 96 GB or more memory.

And as a Second extension:
Usually, it's enough to use a short memory dump and look at it with a program called BlueScreenViewer from Nirsoft. There are other similar programs available, but most admins know about this one. -To be honest, I am not affiliated with this company, but I have been utilizing this software for a considerable amount of time to troubleshoot issues and other coworkers known to me.

Answer 3

First of all, I want to state that current documentation indeed has mixed messages on the topic.

In the end, my understanding is - if you want a successful memory dump, it is not recommended to have a dump file without a page file.

The only fact we have is: the OS states explicitly that any memory dump is not guaranteed to contain complete information without a page file. This message appears for any type of memory dump while having no page file set in Settings - System - About - [Advanced system settings]

Windows might not be able to record details that could help identify system errors because your current paging file is disabled or less than XXX megabytes.

Also there is a statement that implies you must have a page file in article Configure system failure and recovery options in Windows

To take advantage of the dump file feature, your paging file must be on the boot volume. If you've moved the paging file to another volume, you must move it back to the boot volume before you use this feature.

Though it is not 100% clear if this statement refers to all dump file options, or only to the last one mentioned in the article.

Also, in the same article, all options state explicitly you must have a page file (except the last one)

• Complete memory dump
  [...] you must have a paging file on the boot volume [...]
• Kernel memory dump
  [...] you must have a pagefile large enough to accommodate your kernel memory [...]
• Small memory dump (64 KB)
  [...] this option requires a paging file of at least 2 MB on the boot volume [...]
• Automatic memory dump
  [...] contains the same information as a Kernel Memory Dump [...] Windows sets the size of the system paging file [...]
• Active Memory Dump (implies indirectly)
  [...] Active Memory Dump is similar to a Complete Memory Dump [...]

So it seems, you can still configure the dump file without a page file set, but it is not guaranteed to contain all the data necessary for debugging.

As for configuration itself, all commands are outlined in the article Configure memory dump files for Server Core installation