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The Event Viewer message “Dump file creation failed due to error during dump creation” usually appears after Windows crashes, freezes, or restarts unexpectedly. It means Windows failed to write a crash dump; it does not, by itself, identify the cause of the original failure.
On Windows 11, the message is normally logged by volmgr, Event ID 161. Check for a usable dump configuration and page file, scan the Windows volume, and investigate events around the restart—including Kernel-Power, BugCheck, Application Popup, WHEA, storage, graphics, and driver events.
Before changing anything: confirm what happened
Open Event Viewer by pressing Win + X and selecting Event Viewer. Go to Event Viewer → Windows Logs → System, then look at events immediately before and after the restart.
| Event | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| volmgr, Event ID 161 | Windows failed while creating a crash dump. It is not, by itself, the cause of the crash. |
| Kernel-Power, Event ID 41 | Windows restarted without a clean shutdown. It does not prove that the power supply is defective. |
| BugCheck | Windows recorded a stop error and may include its bug-check code. |
| Application Popup, Event ID 56 | May appear in the same crash sequence; its presence alone does not establish the cause. |
| WHEA-Logger | May indicate hardware, firmware, processor, memory, PCIe, or storage errors. |
| Disk, stornvme, storahci, Display, or driver events | May point to storage, graphics, controller, or driver activity around the crash. |
These events can describe the same failure sequence. Event 161 is usually a symptom of a crash or failed restart sequence, not its root cause.
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1. Check whether Windows created a dump anyway
- Open File Explorer and select This PC.
- Check C:\Windows\Minidump for small dump files with the .dmp extension.
- Also check for C:\Windows\MEMORY.DMP, where a kernel or full dump is normally stored.
If you find a new dump, copy it to another folder before analyzing or uploading it. Event 161 does not necessarily mean no dump was written. If neither location contains a new file, the configuration may be invalid, Windows may have been unable to write one, or the crash may have prevented dump creation from finishing.
2. Restore the Windows 11 dump settings
- Open Settings → System → About.
- Under Related links, select Advanced system settings.
- In System Properties, open Advanced → Startup and Recovery → Settings.
- Make sure Write an event to the system log is enabled.
- Under Write debugging information, select Automatic memory dump.
- Confirm the paths shown for Dump file and Small dump directory, then select OK → Apply → OK.
The small dump directory is typically %SystemRoot%\Minidump, which normally resolves to C:\Windows\Minidump. You can temporarily clear Automatically restart in the same window to read a stop code if a blue screen appears again; re-enable it afterward if you prefer.
Which dump type should you choose?
Automatic memory dump is normally the best default. Depending on the Windows configuration, other options may include kernel, small, complete, or active memory dumps. A complete dump requires sufficient page-file space on the boot volume for physical memory and other system requirements. Do not select it unless the available page-file space is adequate or a particular debugging investigation requires it.
3. Restore an automatically managed page file
Windows needs a usable page file on the system or boot volume to create most kernel, automatic, active, and complete crash dumps. Dump creation can fail if the page file is disabled, manually undersized, moved, damaged, or unavailable when the crash occurs.
- Go to Settings → System → About → Advanced system settings.
- On the Advanced tab, under Performance, select Settings.
- Open Advanced → Virtual memory → Change.
- Enable Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
- Select OK through each dialog and restart Windows.
After restarting, check that the page file is on the Windows boot drive and that the drive has free space. Deleting an old C:\Windows\MEMORY.DMP can free storage, but it does not repair a missing page file, storage failure, filesystem corruption, or a crash that prevents dump writing.
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4. Repair Windows component and system-file corruption
Open Windows Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin). Run each command separately and wait for it to finish:
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DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow
DISM with /RestoreHealth repairs the Windows component store; SFC checks protected system files against that store. Run DISM before SFC when both are needed, then restart. If DISM reports that source files could not be found, note the exact error rather than repeatedly running the same command.
5. Scan the Windows filesystem and storage volume
In Windows Terminal (Admin), run chkdsk C: /scan to scan the NTFS volume online. If Windows reports that repairs are needed, run chkdsk C: /f. If prompted to schedule the check for the next restart, type Y and restart.
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The /f option repairs logical filesystem errors; it is not a complete test of an SSD or NVMe drive. If Event Viewer also shows Disk, stornvme, storahci, controller, or repeated timeout events, back up important data and check drive health with the manufacturer’s diagnostic utility.
6. Test Safe Mode
Safe Mode loads Windows with a limited set of drivers and services, which can help distinguish third-party software from problems that occur with the basic Windows configuration.
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- Enter Windows Recovery Environment through Settings → System → Recovery → Advanced startup → Restart now, or hold Shift while selecting Restart.
- Select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart.
- After the restart, select 4 for Safe Mode or 5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
If device encryption or BitLocker is enabled, Windows Recovery Environment may request the recovery key. If the PC is stable in Safe Mode but crashes during normal startup, third-party drivers, startup applications, security tools, graphics software, peripherals, or other hardware used only during normal boot become more likely. Safe Mode narrows the search but does not identify the defective component.
7. Perform a clean boot
A clean boot disables non-Microsoft services and startup applications while leaving Windows available. Try it if Safe Mode is stable but normal Windows is not.
- Search for msconfig and open System Configuration.
- Open Services, enable Hide all Microsoft services, then select Disable all.
- Open Startup and select Open Task Manager.
- In Startup apps, disable each enabled third-party item.
- Close Task Manager, select OK in System Configuration, and restart.
If crashes stop, re-enable services and startup items in small groups until the problem returns. A clean boot tests whether third-party software contributes to the crashes; it does not repair dump infrastructure itself.
8. Investigate drivers, firmware, and hardware
Once dump creation works, analyze the next dump for a stop code or named driver rather than updating every driver at random. Check the events and circumstances around the failure.
- Graphics drivers and GPU or PCIe errors, especially during games or video workloads.
- Storage drivers, SSD or NVMe firmware, and Disk or WHEA-Logger events.
- Recent motherboard BIOS or firmware changes.
- Unstable XMP/EXPO memory profiles, CPU or GPU overclocks, and undervolting; temporarily restore BIOS defaults for testing.
- USB hubs, docks, Bluetooth adapters, webcams, audio devices, and other newly connected peripherals.
- Thermal problems and unexpected shutdowns under load.
Kernel-Power Event 41 only says that Windows restarted without a clean shutdown. Possible causes include a bug check, freeze, reset, power loss, firmware issue, unstable memory, overheating, or an actual power-supply problem. Do not replace the PSU based on Event 41 alone.
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9. Use Driver Verifier only as a controlled diagnostic
Driver Verifier can force Windows to detect certain driver violations, but it can also deliberately trigger additional blue screens. It is not a general repair tool and should not be left enabled permanently.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11If you enabled it and Windows no longer boots, enter Windows Recovery Environment, select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart, and choose 4 for Safe Mode. Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:
verifier /reset
verifier /bootmode resetonbootfail
Restart the computer. Use Driver Verifier only when you have a reason to suspect a driver and have a recovery plan. If it identifies a third-party driver, update, roll back, or remove that specific software.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do if Event 161 continues
If the page file, dump settings, Windows files, and filesystem are in order but Event 161 continues, the original crash may be preventing dump writing from completing. Record what happened and check the full event sequence:
- Was the PC gaming, waking from sleep, browsing, or idle?
- Did it show a blue screen, freeze, reset, or lose power instantly?
- Are WHEA, Disk, graphics, USB, ACPI, or storage events present?
- Did the issue begin after a BIOS update, driver installation, hardware change, or memory-profile change?
- Does the system remain stable in Safe Mode or after a clean boot?
A clean Windows installation does not prove that hardware is healthy. It can remove software corruption while leaving a failing SSD, unstable memory, defective motherboard, firmware problem, thermal issue, or power-delivery fault unchanged. Back up important files before hardware testing or firmware work.
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FAQ
Does volmgr Event ID 161 cause a blue screen?
Not normally. Event ID 161 records that Windows failed to create a crash dump. The original blue screen, freeze, reset, driver failure, storage problem, or hardware fault happened before or during that sequence.
Does Kernel-Power Event 41 mean my power supply is bad?
No. Event 41 means Windows restarted without a clean shutdown. A defective PSU is one possibility, but crashes, freezes, firmware problems, unstable memory, overheating, storage faults, and forced resets can produce the same event.
Will deleting C:\Windows\MEMORY.DMP fix Event 161?
Only if the drive was nearly full and deleting the old file provides enough free space. It will not fix a disabled or damaged page file, filesystem corruption, a failing drive, or a crash that prevents dump writing.
Should I select Complete memory dump?
Usually not. Automatic memory dump is the sensible default. Complete dumps require substantial page-file space on the boot volume and are mainly useful when a specific debugging investigation requires them.
Is Driver Verifier safe to leave enabled?
No. It is a temporary diagnostic tool that can cause deliberate bug checks. Reset it after testing; if it prevents normal startup, use Safe Mode and run verifier /reset and verifier /bootmode resetonbootfail.
Why is there no file in C:\Windows\Minidump?
The dump configuration may be disabled or invalid, the page file may be unavailable, the Windows drive may have storage or filesystem errors, the disk may lack space, or the crash may have occurred too early or severely for Windows to write a dump.
The Bottom Line
Fix Event 161 by treating it as a failed crash-reporting operation, not as the diagnosis. Verify the dump paths and restore an automatically managed page file first. Then run DISM and SFC, scan the Windows volume, and use Safe Mode or a clean boot to narrow the cause. Finally, investigate events and conditions around the crash, especially WHEA, storage, graphics, firmware, memory stability, thermals, and peripherals. Kernel-Power 41 alone is not enough evidence to blame the PSU.
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