dump-analyze

name	dump-analyze
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "analyze crash dump", "analyze dump files", "analyze .dmp", "check crash dumps", "debug crash", "analyze crash", "cdb analyze", "windbg analyze", or mentions dump analysis, crash analysis, or debugging crash dumps (.dmp files).
version	1.0.0

Dump Analyze Skill

Overview

This skill provides crash dump analysis capabilities using Windows CDB (Console Debugger). It can analyze individual .dmp files or batch-analyze all dumps in a directory, producing structured reports with exception info, call stacks, faulting module, and symbol resolution.

When This Skill Applies

Use this skill when users need to:

• Analyze crash dump (.dmp) files
• Identify crash locations and call stacks
• Determine which module/function caused a crash
• Batch-analyze multiple dump files
• Extract exception codes and faulting addresses from dumps

Prerequisites

• CDB (cdb.exe): Installed at C:\Zoo\Tools\WinDBG_x64\cdb.exe
• Symbol files (.pdb): Must be available alongside the crashed binaries
• Windows platform: CDB is a Windows-only tool

Quick Start

Analyze a Single Dump File

# From bash (Git Bash / WSL)
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:/Lenovo/SmartConnectFrame/Skills/dump-analyze/scripts/analyze-dump.ps1" \
    -DumpFile "C:\Lenovo\SmartConnectFrame\out\Debug_x64\Log\Dumps\SmartConnect_20260411_003649_424.dmp" \
    -SymbolPath "C:\Lenovo\SmartConnectFrame\out\Debug_x64"

Analyze All Dumps in a Directory

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:/Lenovo/SmartConnectFrame/Skills/dump-analyze/scripts/analyze-dump.ps1" \
    -DumpFolder "C:\Lenovo\SmartConnectFrame\out\Debug_x64\Log\Dumps" \
    -SymbolPath "C:\Lenovo\SmartConnectFrame\out\Debug_x64" \
    -OutputFile "C:\Lenovo\SmartConnectFrame\out\Debug_x64\Log\Dumps\analysis_report.txt"

Analyze with Microsoft Public Symbols

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:/Lenovo/SmartConnectFrame/Skills/dump-analyze/scripts/analyze-dump.ps1" \
    -DumpFolder "C:\Lenovo\SmartConnectFrame\out\Debug_x64\Log\Dumps" \
    -SymbolPath "C:\Lenovo\SmartConnectFrame\out\Debug_x64"

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Description
-DumpFile	One of DumpFile/DumpFolder	Path to a single .dmp file
-DumpFolder	One of DumpFile/DumpFolder	Path to directory containing .dmp files
-SymbolPath	No	Symbol search path (default: project Debug_x64 output)
-OutputFile	No	Output report file path (default: {DumpFolder}\analysis_report.txt)
-CdbPath	No	Path to cdb.exe (default: C:\Zoo\Tools\WinDBG_x64\cdb.exe)
-MaxFrames	No	Max call stack frames to show (default: 50)
-SummaryOnly	No	Switch: only output summary table, skip detailed analysis

Output Format

Summary Table (per dump file)

================================================================================
  Dump: SmartConnect_20260411_003649_424.dmp
================================================================================
  Exception Code  : 0x40010006 (DBG_PRINTEXCEPTION_C)
  Exception Address: 0x00007FFB355D73FA
  Faulting Module : WinAPI.dll
  Faulting Offset : 0x00000000000173FA
  Thread ID       : 157484
  Process         : SmartConnectServer.exe

  Call Stack (Top 5):
    #00 WinAPI!SDK_Stop+0x3A
    #01 WinAPI!DllMain+0x1E
    #02 ntdll!LdrpCallInitRoutine+0x6E
    #03 ntdll!LdrShutdownProcess+0x1D0
    #04 kernel32!ExitProcess+0x50

  Likely Root Cause: SDK_Stop() triggered broadcast callback during DLL unload
================================================================================

Full Analysis (default)

Includes the summary plus:

• Full !analyze -v output
• Complete call stack with parameters and line numbers
• Loaded module list
• Thread information

Smart Symbol Resolution

The script automatically:

1. Looks for .pdb files next to the crashed binary
2. Appends Microsoft public symbol server if SRV* syntax is used
3. Reports unresolved symbols (missing PDB) with ??? markers

Common Use Cases

1. Quick Crash Summary

Get a quick overview of all crashes:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:/Lenovo/SmartConnectFrame/Skills/dump-analyze/scripts/analyze-dump.ps1" \
    -DumpFolder "C:\Lenovo\SmartConnectFrame\out\Debug_x64\Log\Dumps" \
    -SummaryOnly

2. Full Detailed Analysis

Get complete analysis with call stacks:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:/Lenovo/SmartConnectFrame/Skills/dump-analyze/scripts/analyze-dump.ps1" \
    -DumpFolder "C:\Lenovo\SmartConnectFrame\out\Debug_x64\Log\Dumps" \
    -OutputFile "C:\Lenovo\SmartConnectFrame\out\Debug_x64\Log\Dumps\full_analysis.txt"

3. Analyze Specific Dump

Focus on one particular dump:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:/Lenovo/SmartConnectFrame/Skills/dump-analyze/scripts/analyze-dump.ps1" \
    -DumpFile "C:\Lenovo\SmartConnectFrame\out\Debug_x64\Log\Dumps\SmartConnect_20260411_003649_424.dmp" \
    -MaxFrames 100

Troubleshooting

• "cdb.exe not found": Verify C:\Zoo\Tools\WinDBG_x64\cdb.exe exists, or pass -CdbPath
• All symbols show ???: PDB files are missing or don't match the binary version
• "Unable to open dump file": Check the file path and permissions
• Empty output: The dump file may be corrupted or from a different architecture

Reference Files

• references/cdb-commands.md - CDB command reference for dump analysis
• references/exception-codes.md - Common Windows exception codes

Scripts

• scripts/analyze-dump.ps1 - Main analysis script (PowerShell)