System
Crash Dumps
Windows Error Reporting and applications configured for local dump collection write crash dump files into %LocalAppData%\CrashDumps when a process terminates unexpectedly. These .dmp files can include minidumps with thread stacks, loaded module lists, exception records, and sometimes full user-mode memory snapshots for debugging; Kudu removes old crash dump files that accumulate after repeated app crashes while leaving your installed programs, settings, accounts, and personal documents untouched.
Why clean Crash Dumps?
- Repeated crashes of the same app can leave behind dozens of .dmp files, and the only visible symptom is mysteriously shrinking free space in your user profile
- Full user-mode dumps are much larger than minidumps, so a single severe crash can consume hundreds of megabytes or more and make disk usage jump suddenly
- Old dump files from already-fixed crashes clutter the CrashDumps folder, making it harder to find the one recent dump that actually matters during troubleshooting
- Applications that crash in a loop can generate new dumps on every launch attempt, leading to rapid profile growth and low-disk-space warnings
- Dump files may contain snapshots of process memory from the moment of failure, so clearing outdated dumps reduces leftover diagnostic data you no longer need without affecting saved work or passwords
- Large accumulations under %LocalAppData% can slow manual searches and backup jobs because extra dump files are scanned, copied, or indexed even though they are only post-crash diagnostics
What gets cleaned
Cache paths Kudu targets
Windows
%LocalAppData%/CrashDumps |
Frequently asked
Common questions about Crash Dumps
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