CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202)Software TroubleshootingHard
A desktop repeatedly blue-screens with a DIFFERENT stop code each time it crashes. A technician wants to pinpoint the exact driver or module responsible before attempting a fix. Which file(s) should the technician analyze, and with what tool?
- AThe minidump files in C:\Windows\Minidump using a debugging tool such as WinDbg
- BThe hosts file in C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc using Notepad
- CThe pagefile.sys file using a hex editor
- DThe BCD store using bcdedit
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. The minidump files in C:\Windows\Minidump using a debugging tool such as WinDbg
Windows writes a small memory dump (minidump) to C:\Windows\Minidump after each crash, recording the stop code, loaded drivers, and stack trace. Analyzing these with a debugger like WinDbg identifies the specific faulting driver or module, even when stop codes vary between crashes.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. The hosts file maps domain names to IPs and is unrelated to crash diagnostics.
- C. pagefile.sys is virtual memory swap space, not a crash diagnostic log.
- D. bcdedit manages boot configuration, not runtime crash diagnostics.
Minidump Analysis
A small memory dump file Windows generates after each crash, stored in C:\Windows\Minidump, which can be analyzed with WinDbg to identify the faulting driver or module.
- Located in C:\Windows\Minidump
- Analyzed with WinDbg or WhoCrashed
- Contains stop code and loaded driver list
Memory trick: 'Mini clues in Minidump' solve the crash mystery.