Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIn Windows 11, the Disable automatic deletion of memory dumps when disk space is low checkbox controls whether Windows may remove crash-dump files to free space. Check it to retain dumps; clear it to allow automatic deletion. The setting does not turn dump creation on or off.
Quick answer
| What you want | Startup and Recovery checkbox | Registry value |
|---|---|---|
| Allow automatic deletion when disk space is low | Clear the checkbox | AlwaysKeepMemoryDump=0 |
| Keep dumps when disk space is low | Select the checkbox | AlwaysKeepMemoryDump=1 |
The value is under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlCrashControl. The checkbox wording is easy to misread: selecting “Disable automatic deletion” means keep dumps rather than delete them. The registry mapping is described in Windows 11 tutorials and Microsoft’s registry example.
What this setting does—and does not do
A memory dump is diagnostic data Windows writes after a stop error (often called a blue screen or bug check). Depending on its type, it can contain stop information, kernel and driver data, or a much larger portion of system memory. Microsoft describes the available dump types in its memory dump file options.
This checkbox concerns retention during low-disk-space conditions. It does not enable dump generation, choose the dump type, prevent Windows from restarting, create additional storage, or set Windows Error Reporting upload behavior. Dump generation and automatic restart have separate controls, including CrashDumpEnabled and AutoReboot; see Microsoft’s system failure and recovery configuration.
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Change the setting in Windows 11
- Sign in with an administrator account.
- Press Win + I, then open System > About.
- Select Advanced system settings. In System Properties, open Advanced.
- Under Startup and Recovery, select Settings.
- Under System failure, select Disable automatic deletion of memory dumps when disk space is low to retain dumps, or clear it to allow automatic deletion.
- Select OK, then OK again. Restart Windows if prompted; Microsoft says a restart is required for startup and recovery changes to take effect.
If the Settings route differs on your Windows release, press Win + R, enter sysdm.cpl, and open Advanced > Startup and Recovery > Settings. The control and its location are also shown in the Windows 11 tutorial and the January 23, 2025 HTMD guide.
Set it through the registry or a script
Use an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell session. Changes to HKLM require administrator rights. Set the value to 1 to keep dumps or 0 to allow automatic deletion.
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Command Prompt
To disable automatic deletion and retain dumps:
reg add "HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlCrashControl" /v AlwaysKeepMemoryDump /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /fTo enable automatic deletion:
reg add "HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlCrashControl" /v AlwaysKeepMemoryDump /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /fTo verify the configured value:
reg query "HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlCrashControl" /v AlwaysKeepMemoryDumpExpect 0x1 for retaining dumps or 0x0 for automatic deletion. Restart for the change to take effect. A deployment tool should not reboot a user’s device without notice and an appropriate maintenance window.
PowerShell
Run the appropriate command in an elevated PowerShell session:
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# Retain dumps; disable automatic deletion
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:SYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlCrashControl' -Name 'AlwaysKeepMemoryDump' -PropertyType DWord -Value 1 -Force
# Allow automatic deletion
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:SYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlCrashControl' -Name 'AlwaysKeepMemoryDump' -PropertyType DWord -Value 0 -ForceVerify with:
Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:SYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlCrashControl' -Name 'AlwaysKeepMemoryDump'For Registry Editor, run regedit as administrator, navigate to the same CrashControl key, and set AlwaysKeepMemoryDump to the desired DWORD value. If it is absent, create a DWORD (32-bit) Value with that name. Setting it explicitly to 0 makes the intended behavior clear.
Know where Windows stores dumps
%SystemRoot%Memory.dmp—normally the location for kernel, automatic, active, and complete dumps; on a typical Windows installation this isC:WindowsMEMORY.DMP.%SystemRoot%Minidump—normally where small dumps accumulate; typicallyC:WindowsMinidump.
These are defaults; configured paths can differ. Small dumps are separate files, so dump retention does not mean Windows keeps just one file in every configuration. Microsoft’s dump-type documentation and client configuration guide describe the locations and settings.
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Choose a retention policy and dump type together
| Situation | Practical choice |
|---|---|
| Ordinary PC with limited system-drive space | Leave automatic deletion enabled; collect needed dumps promptly. |
| Repeated blue screens or an active driver/kernel investigation | Temporarily disable automatic deletion and arrange storage and cleanup. |
| Managed workstation with ample storage | Retain dumps only with free-space monitoring and a defined cleanup policy. |
| Critically low system-drive space | Free or add storage before forcing dump retention. |
| Privacy-sensitive device or vendor support case | Use the requested dump type and protect access to the resulting files. |
Dump size and diagnostic detail depend on the selected type:
- Small dump: relatively small and easier to store, but includes less context.
- Kernel dump: captures kernel memory and is often useful for operating-system and driver failures without the size of a complete dump.
- Automatic dump: contains the same information as a kernel dump, while Windows manages page-file sizing differently. With a system-managed page file, Windows may enlarge it after a crash; Microsoft says the larger size can remain for four weeks before returning to the smaller size. See Automatic Memory Dump.
- Active dump: filters out memory pages less likely to help analysis and is often smaller than a complete dump.
- Complete dump: captures essentially system memory and can be very large, especially on a high-RAM device.
Microsoft’s kernel-mode dump types and dump-configuration recommendations explain the trade-offs. A complete dump needs adequate paging-file capacity on the boot volume; writing the final dump to another drive does not remove that requirement. Requirements vary by Windows version and configuration, so do not treat a single page-file size formula as universal.
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Troubleshoot when a dump is missing
- Confirm the retention value and checkbox. Query
AlwaysKeepMemoryDumpand verify that the UI reflects the intended setting. Retention affects future low-space cleanup; it cannot restore a dump Windows already deleted. - Confirm that Windows is configured to create a dump. In Startup and Recovery, inspect Write debugging information. The related registry value is
CrashDumpEnabled; Microsoft documents values for no dump, complete, kernel, small, and automatic dumps. Active dumps useCrashDumpEnabled=1withFilterPages=1. - Check the page file and boot-volume capacity. An unsuitable page file or inadequate free space can prevent dump creation even when retention is enabled. Consult Microsoft’s dump configuration recommendations and kernel or complete dump guidance.
- Look in both default locations. Check
C:WindowsMEMORY.DMPandC:WindowsMinidump, or the configuredDumpFileandMinidumpDirpaths.Overwriteis another related setting that can affect whether an existing dump is replaced. - Check the deployment context. If a script did not apply, confirm it ran elevated and query the registry on the affected device. Windows Error Reporting policies concern crash-data collection or reporting and are not a substitute for this local retention value.
Small dumps contain less information than larger dumps; Microsoft’s small dump guidance explains their limits. If a support investigation needs a dump, copy it to another local disk or an approved support repository before cleaning up the system drive.
Deploy the setting across managed devices
The practical management route is to deploy the same registry DWORD using an elevated Intune remediation script, PowerShell, Configuration Manager baseline, Group Policy Preferences Registry, or another endpoint-management tool. The HTMD coverage says it did not identify a dedicated Group Policy or Intune control for this specific retention setting; that is not proof that no future or environment-specific policy exists. Its separate article on controlling dump collection using Intune addresses related management considerations.
Include value verification, free-space monitoring, a retention/cleanup plan, and a restart plan in deployment. Avoid applying dump-retention changes indiscriminately to devices with limited system storage.
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