How to Delete System Error Memory Dump Files in Windows

Crash dump files offer insights into what caused errors on your device

2 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

Memory dump files, otherwise crash dumps, are system files saved during blue screen crashes. When a BSOD error message appears, Windows saves a copy of the system memory.

Those crash dump files can then assist developers to fix BSOD system crashes. Users can send the crash dumps to developers when they file support tickets.

Memory dump files can waste a lot of hard drive space. They can hog gigabytes of hard drive storage. Windows only automatically delete crash dump files when HDD space is limited.

However, users can also erase crash dumps with cleanup utilities.

How do I delete crash dump files in Windows?

1. Delete Crash Dumps Via the Command Prompt

fsutil usn deletejournal /d /n c:

del “%temp%*” /s /f /q

del “C:$Recycle.bin*” /s /f /q

del “%systemroot%temp*” /s /f /q

vssadmin delete shadows /for=c: /all /quiet

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase

2. Turn Off Crash Dumps

3. Delete system error memory dump files in Disk Cleanup

Users can erase crash dumps with Windows’ built-in Disk Cleanup. This tool allows you to perform a clean and safe cleanup on your PC.

Launch Run with theWindows key + Rkeyboard shortcut.
Entercleanmgrin Run’s Open text box.
PressCtrl + Shift + Enterto open Disk Cleanup as administrator.

4.Select the C: drive on the Drive selection window, and click theOKbutton.

Select theSystem error memory dump filescheck box.
Then click theOKbutton.

7.Users who can’t find a System error memory dump files option in Disk Clean-up should open that utility via an elevated Command Prompt. To do that, enter the following line in cmd:%SystemRoot%System32Cmd.exe /c Cleanmgr /sageset:16 & Cleanmgr /sagerun:16

Press theReturnkey. Disk Cleanup will open with more checkbox options. Navigate to theSystem error memory dump filesoption and click to delete the files.

So, there are a few ways users can erase crash dumps in Windows. Deleting the crash dumps might free up quite a bit of hard drive storage space so make sure to do so.

Let us know which was your method of choice in the comments section below.

How to Delete System Error Memory Dump Files in Windows#

How do I delete crash dump files in Windows?#

1. Delete Crash Dumps Via the Command Prompt#

2. Turn Off Crash Dumps#

3. Delete system error memory dump files in Disk Cleanup#

How to Delete System Error Memory Dump Files in Windows

How do I delete crash dump files in Windows?

1. Delete Crash Dumps Via the Command Prompt

2. Turn Off Crash Dumps

3. Delete system error memory dump files in Disk Cleanup