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.DMP file extension

To open .DMP files on Windows, if the file is a Windows crash dump, open it with WinDbg and use the “Open Crash Dump” workflow to load the .dmp.

To open a .DMP file, use a debugger that understands Windows crash dumps—most commonly WinDbg or Visual Studio on Windows. If you’re on macOS, Linux, iOS, or Android, you will usually need to move the file to a Windows PC for analysis.

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Last updated: April 30, 2026 · Reviewed by Julian Stricker

Open on your device

Choose your operating system for a dedicated step-by-step opening guide.

How to open .DMP files

Use these platform-specific instructions to open .DMP files safely.

Windows

  1. If the file is a Windows crash dump, open it with WinDbg and use the “Open Crash Dump” workflow to load the .dmp.
  2. Alternatively, open the dump in Visual Studio (Windows) using its “Use dump files in the debugger” feature to inspect the crash.
  3. If the dump is a system crash dump, check the default location %SystemRoot%\Memory.dmp (for complete memory dumps) or the Minidump folder for small dumps, then open the specific .dmp you need.
Full Windows guide

Mac

  1. .DMP files are most commonly Windows crash dumps; for practical debugging, transfer the file to a Windows machine and open it in WinDbg or Visual Studio.
  2. If you only need to inspect basic metadata, you can try opening it as a binary file in a hex viewer, but meaningful analysis typically requires Windows debugging tools.
Full Mac guide

Linux

  1. .DMP is most commonly a Windows dump format; for full analysis, copy the file to a Windows PC and open it in WinDbg or Visual Studio.
  2. If you must inspect it on Linux, you can only do limited raw viewing (for example in a hex viewer); the common, supported workflow is Windows-based debugging.
Full Linux guide

iOS

  1. iOS does not commonly support analyzing Windows .DMP crash dumps; transfer the .dmp to a Windows PC and open it with WinDbg or Visual Studio.
Full iOS guide

Android

  1. Android does not commonly support analyzing Windows .DMP crash dumps; transfer the .dmp to a Windows PC and open it with WinDbg or Visual Studio.
Full Android guide

Security notes

  • .DMP files can contain sensitive data from memory (passwords, encryption keys, personal data, or proprietary code) because they capture memory at crash time; treat them like confidential data when sharing or uploading.
  • Only open dumps you trust: crash dumps are typically safe data, but debuggers and dump parsers are complex, and untrusted dump files can still pose risk if they exploit a tool’s parsing vulnerabilities.
  • Before sending a dump to someone else (support, vendors, coworkers), assume it may include private information and use approved secure-sharing procedures.

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Can't open this file?

These are the most common causes and fixes when .DMP files fail to open.

Common reasons

  • Windows says it can’t open the .DMP file or opens it in the wrong app
  • The dump won’t load or appears incomplete/corrupt
  • You can’t find Memory.dmp or expected minidump files

Fix steps

  1. Install and use WinDbg to open the crash dump via its “Open Crash Dump” option.
  2. Or open the dump in Visual Studio using the dump debugging workflow described in Microsoft Learn.
  3. If Windows keeps launching the wrong program, use “Open with…” and select the debugger you want.

OS-specific troubleshooting

What is a .DMP file?

A .DMP file most often refers to a crash dump (core dump) that records process or system memory at the time of a failure. Windows commonly writes system crash dumps to %SystemRoot%\Memory.dmp and may create smaller “minidump” files (often with names like MiniDump*.dmp). These dumps are used by debugging tools to inspect call stacks, threads, loaded modules, and other crash context.

Background

The .dmp extension is widely associated with core dumps—files produced when an operating system or application captures memory contents to help diagnose crashes. Wikipedia notes that Microsoft Windows may use the .dmp extension for core dumps (for example, Memory.dmp and Minidump*.dmp).

Common MIME types: application/vnd.tcpdump.pcap

Further reading

Authoritative resources for more details on the .DMP format.

Common .DMP issues

Windows says it can’t open the .DMP file or opens it in the wrong app

A .DMP crash dump isn’t meant for general-purpose viewers; it typically requires debugging tools. File associations may also point to an unrelated app.

  1. Install and use WinDbg to open the crash dump via its “Open Crash Dump” option.
  2. Or open the dump in Visual Studio using the dump debugging workflow described in Microsoft Learn.
  3. If Windows keeps launching the wrong program, use “Open with…” and select the debugger you want.

The dump won’t load or appears incomplete/corrupt

Dump files can be truncated (incomplete copy), generated with different dump settings (small vs complete), or not match what your analysis expects.

  1. Re-copy or re-download the .dmp to ensure it was transferred fully.
  2. Confirm whether it’s a complete memory dump (often %SystemRoot%\Memory.dmp) or a small memory dump (minidump), then use the appropriate debugging workflow.

You can’t find Memory.dmp or expected minidump files

Windows crash dumps are written to specific default locations and may differ depending on configured dump type.

  1. For complete memory dumps, check the default crash dump path %SystemRoot%\Memory.dmp.
  2. For small memory dumps, look for minidump files (often named like MiniDump*.dmp) as described in Microsoft’s small dump documentation.

FAQ

What is a .DMP file most commonly used for?

Most commonly, .DMP is a crash dump (core dump) used to debug a crashed application or a Windows system crash (for example, Memory.dmp and Minidump*.dmp).

How do I open a .DMP file on Windows?

Use Microsoft debugging tools such as WinDbg to open a crash dump, or open it in Visual Studio using its dump debugging feature.

Can I open a .DMP file on macOS or Linux?

In practice, Windows .DMP crash dumps are typically analyzed on Windows using WinDbg or Visual Studio. On macOS/Linux you can do limited raw viewing, but meaningful debugging usually requires Windows tools.

Is it OK to share a .DMP file with support?

Be cautious: dump files may contain sensitive information pulled from memory. Share only through trusted, approved channels and only when necessary.

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