What is a .dmp file extension?
The .dmp file extension often referred to as a dump file is used to unload content from the system?s memory when it stops abruptly. This file type is commonly used by the Windows operating system to dump the memory of the running application into a .dmp file.
What is the .dmp file extension used for?
Microsoft Windows is one of the most popular Operating systems (OS) and runs on almost 90% of the systems in the world. Microsoft 2000 was one of the very successful server OS designed by Microsoft and was extremely popular. It was this OS that had designed the concept of the memory dump file. The size of each dump was set at 2 MB.
The memory dump file is a small file with the .dmp file extension which records the detailed information of the problem which caused the system to crash. This information is stored in the date and month encoded format e.g. minidump061210-01.dmp means a first dump on 12th June 2010. Microsoft has standardized the dump size to 64kb after the release of the Windows XP OS.
These dump files store all the information in the %SystemRoot%\Minidump folder. This information can be used as a tool to troubleshoot any software which creates problems with the OS. The disadvantage of keeping these files is that over a period of time they take up lot of system space. ?They are often deleted once they reach a limit which is set by the OS itself.
The .dmp file extension is also used by Oracle products to save the output of the simulation which is run for analysis or design verification. So the easiest method to differentiate the oracle .dmp file extension from the windows is by checking the date and month code format.
Will my system crash if I delete the .dmp files manually?
This file can be deleted either by the using the windows cleanup feature or manually and this will not hamper the working of the OS.
What are the different kinds of software used to open .dmp file extension?
You can open the .dmp file extension using any text editor. You will be able to read the contents of the file easily as it will be stored in a systematic format. FileCure software can also be used to open the .dmp file extension. This software not only opens it without any problems, but also will help you associate the file with its correct program.