Can I delete .dmp files from a windows server manually? (by hitting shift + delete)

Question

Hello,

There is a server with Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard OS. It is production. However, the server has some issues and it does hang from time to time. As a result, there are quite a few minidump (.dmp) and memory (.dmp) files and used up space in the C drive.

I am being cautious here, as it is a production environment.

Can I delete these .dmp files? (both memory.dmp and minidump )

If yes, Can I delete these .dmp files manually (shift + delete) from the C drive to release space?

OR

should I use disk clean up?

Are there any adverse / negative impact of manual deletion or disk clean up deletion.

Please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Hi @abhishek ghosh ,

Personally, I prefer using the disk cleanup to avoid any bad handling. You will find more details in the following post may help you:

• Windows Memory Dumps: What Exactly Are They For?

Please note that Windows Server 2008 R2 is out of support, you have to upgrade your OS ASAP to keep your servers up-to-date.

Regards,

---

Youssef Saad | New blog: https://youssef-saad.blogspot.com
Please remember to ** “Accept answer” ** for useful answers, thank you!

Answer 2

Hi,
memory dump files and mini dumps are created when Windows system crashes or BSOD. You can certainly delete Dump files. However, when your system will crash next time, another dump file will be created.
Without using the Disk Cleanup utility, you can choose to delete System error memory dump files physically.
So if you’re not going to solve a system crash error or the problem has been solved, you can delete the existing System error memory dump files on your computer to free up space.
Hope this helps and please help to accept as Answer if the response is useful.'
Best Regards,
Carl