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I've created an app with a C++ backend and a HTML-based frontend. I've also created a setup file by using Inno setup including all the needed DLLs and other files. I've tested in several different machines, virtual and real ones, in order to check its consistency. I've also given it to different people as well to test it.

In one of these cases, however, the app crashed. I also have created a C++ logger, but unfortunately didn't give any additional valuable info.

I assumed that it may have to do with Windows permission issues, so I created different C++ executables by changing the manifest file in Visual Studio, but no luck.

As far as I know, in order to deal with these kind of situations, one either uses the remote debugger of Visual Studio on the host machine, or use Windbg on the target machine, but these two ways require either network access to the target machine or knowledge of Windows debugging from the end user.

I'd like to know what one can do if there is no network access and the end user is not capable of debugging even by following instructions. Is there a way, either by C++ or through Windows, to generate a crash dump file that can be used afterwards for debugging?

Remy Lebeau
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dk13
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    Create a minidump. There are plenty of links as to how to do this. – PaulMcKenzie Jul 04 '17 at 18:11
  • Simple google query gave me this https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/chaun/2013/11/12/steps-to-catch-a-simple-crash-dump-of-a-crashing-process/ – Marek Vitek Jul 04 '17 at 18:12
  • @PaulMcKenzie. Thanks for the advice. Since I have no prior experience in windows dump files when referring to creation of minidump you mean the use of MiniDumpWriteDump API inside the c++ app or configure Windows to create mini dumps upon crash or both? – dk13 Jul 04 '17 at 19:52
  • For using MiniDumpWriteDump API you would have to write your own application that uses it. And it will be useful only if you need to create dump of running application. From what I uderstood you want to get dump of ap[kication that is crashing. For that you set up WER - Windows Error Reporting. – Marek Vitek Jul 04 '17 at 21:02
  • And [this SO post](https://stackoverflow.com/a/26143020/8113019) includes also Powershell script set up WER. – Marek Vitek Jul 04 '17 at 21:15
  • When your application crashes, Windows will automatically generate a minidump. You can use Visual Studio or WinDbg to open that minidump file and analayze why it crashed. – Asesh Jul 05 '17 at 05:16

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