Here is the hierarchy of where they live.

When Windows encounters a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), it isolates crash data into these small, highly specific diagnostic packages. This guide covers how to locate, configure, and extract these files exclusively on Windows systems. Default Minidump Locations

Here are the most relevant options you will find:

If you navigate to C:\Windows\Minidump and it's empty, but you have had Blue Screens, check these three exclusive causes:

When your Windows system encounters a critical error, it halts operations and displays the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). To help you diagnose the root cause of this failure, Windows automatically generates a crash dump file. The most useful of these files for quick troubleshooting is the minidump file.

Tools like CCleaner or Windows Storage Sense often delete minidump files automatically to save space. Turn them off while troubleshooting.

In rare cases, Windows' "Fast Startup" feature can interfere with dump file creation. Try disabling it in Power Options.

Because .dmp files are saved in a binary format, you cannot read them with Notepad. You need specialized tools to extract the error codes. 1. WinDbg (Windows Debugger) The official tool provided by Microsoft for deep analysis. Download from the Microsoft Store. Open the app as an Administrator. Go to File -> Start debugging -> Open dump file .