How to Delete Crash Dump Files in Windows 10 (memory dump)

If the system error memory crash dump files are filling you hard disk, follow these steps to quickly delete crash dump files in Windows 10.

When the Windows operating system crashes or encounters a critical system error, it automatically creates a System Error Memory Dump file. These files will contain all the information needed to properly analyze the critical error or the system crash. These crash dump files can be anywhere from a few KBs to a few hundred MBs depending on the crash type and information collected by the system.

For example, if your system crashed as soon as you installed a new graphics driver, Windows will automatically create a memory dump file. This crash dump file can help you or the developer to find why the crash has occurred. If needed, you can even send these memory dump files to Microsoft support or the developer.

In general, most Windows users never have to deal with the crash dump files. However, if you left them alone, the crash dump files can quickly accumulate and take up a lot of space in your SSD or hard disk. In my case, the crash dump files are around 1.5GB. If you are in need of extra hard drive space, deleting the system error memory dump files can help a lot.

In this quick and simple Windows 10 guide, let me show you the steps to delete crash dump files in Windows 10.

1. Delete crash dump files from Settings

The settings app in Windows 10 has a dedicated option to delete crash dump files. Follow the steps below to learn how.

1. Open Windows 10 Settings.
2. Go to “System.”
3. Click on the “Storage” tab.
4. Select “Temporary files.”
5. Select the “System error memory dump files” checkbox.
6. Uncheck all other checkboxes.
7. Click the “Remove files” button.

First thing, open the Settings app. On Windows 10, you can do that by pressing the “Windows key + I” shortcut or by searching for it in the Start menu. After opening it, go to the “System -> Storage” page. This is where you will find all the options to manage Windows Storage and other settings.

On the right panel, click on the “Temporary files” option. Since Windows treats the crash dump files like temporary files, this is where you will find them.

Now, select the “System error memory dump files” checkbox and uncheck all other checkboxes. After that, click on the “Remove files” button. As soon as you click the button, Windows will delete the crash dump files.

There is no need to restart the computer.

2. Delete crash dump files from Disk Cleanup

The good old Disk Cleanup tool has options to delete the system error crash dump files. Here’s how you can do it.

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Search and open “Disk Cleanup.”
3. Select the “C drive” from the dropdown menu.
4. Click on the “Ok” button.
5. Click on the “Clean up system files” button.
6. Select the “C drive.”
7. Select the “System error memory dump files” checkbox.
8. Uncheck all other checkboxes.
9. Click on the “Ok” button.

As soon as you do that, the Disk Cleanup tool will delete the crash dump files.

One thing to keep in mind that the Disk Cleanup is an old tool. Though it works without any hitches, Microsoft is considering removing it in favor of the Settings app. So, if you cannot find the Disk Cleanup tool when you search for it in the Start menu, follow the first method.

That is all. I hope that helps. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible.