Full Memory Dump
Windows writes MEMORY.DMP as a full crash dump after a system stop error, capturing the contents of physical RAM along with kernel state, loaded drivers, thread context, and debugging metadata so the failure can be analyzed later in WinDbg or similar tools. Because it is a one-time diagnostic artifact rather than a reusable cache, it can remain on disk indefinitely after the crash that created it and often consumes gigabytes equal to a large portion of installed memory. Kudu removes the stale full memory dump file at %WinDir%/MEMORY.DMP without touching current user files, accounts, passwords, or Windows settings.
Why clean Full Memory Dump?
- A single blue screen can leave behind a MEMORY.DMP file many gigabytes in size, and users usually notice system drive space suddenly dropping after a crash.
- On smaller SSDs, an old full dump can push Windows close to full capacity, leading to failed feature updates, low disk space warnings, and trouble installing apps or games.
- The dump is tied to one past stop error and does not refresh itself, so keeping an outdated file often wastes space while providing no help for diagnosing newer crashes.
- Backup and sync jobs can become much slower when they include MEMORY.DMP, and users may notice unusually long image backups or larger-than-expected restore points.
- Disk cleanup is worthwhile after a crash has already been investigated, because the file contains raw RAM contents and can preserve fragments of open documents, app data, and in-memory session material even though Kudu does not touch live user data.
- If repeated crashes generated a dump during a period of low free space, leaving the old file in place can contribute to paging pressure and make the PC feel cramped or unable to complete large downloads and updates.
Cache paths Kudu targets
Windows
%WinDir%/MEMORY.DMP |
Common questions about Full Memory Dump
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