Windows 7 / Getting Started

---

Record and Save Stop Message Information

With the automatic restart behavior disabled, you must restart your computer manually after a Stop message appears. Stop messages provide diagnostic information, such as Stop error numbers and driver names, which you can use to resolve the problem. However, this information disappears from the screen when you restart your computer. Generally, you can retrieve this information after the system is restarted by examining the memory dump file, as described in the section titled "Using Memory Dump Files to Analyze Stop Errors" earlier in this tutorial. In some situations, Stop error information is not successfully logged; therefore, it is important to record the information displayed in the Stop message for future reference. Before restarting the system, take the following actions to ensure that you have saved important information, which you can refer to when using the resources listed in this tutorial.

To record and save Stop message information, follow these steps:

1. Record data that is displayed in the Technical Information and Driver Information sections of the Stop message for later reference. These sections are described in the section titled "Stop Messages" earlier in this tutorial.
2. Record and evaluate suggestions in the Recommended User Action section. Stop messages typically provide troubleshooting tips relevant to the error.
3. Check the Debug Port and Dump File Status sections to verify that Windows successfully created a memory dump file.
4. If a memory dump file does exist, copy the file to removable media, another disk volume, or a network location for safekeeping. You can use Startup Repair to copy the dump file if you are not able to start Windows in normal mode or safe mode.

Analyzing memory dump files can assist you with identifying root causes by providing you with detailed information about the system state when the Stop error occurred. By following the preceding steps, you can save important information that you can refer to when using the resources listed in the section titled "Stop Messages" earlier in this tutorial. For more information about creating and analyzing memory dump files, see the section titled "Memory Dump Files" earlier in this tutorial.