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Clarify that WER LocalDumps registry values are optional - #338

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Clarify that WER LocalDumps registry values are optional#338
daveplunkett wants to merge 1 commit into
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claude/bugsplat-wer-registry-values-en46o8

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Summary

The Registry Changes section of the BugSplat for Windows upgrade guide told users to create LocalDumps\{Application Name} with DumpType=0 and DumpCount=0, justified by the claim that "WER will stop creating crash dumps after it has seen a few of the same type." That justification is inaccurate, and a customer asked us to explain what the values actually do.

What the SDK does: when WER hands a crash to BugSplatWer.dll, the module claims ownership and signals BugSplatMonitor.exe, which writes its own minidump directly from the crashed process using the type configured via SetMiniDumpType. BugSplat never reads the dump WER writes, so the LocalDumps values have no effect on what BugSplat captures or uploads. The only required registry entry for WER integration is RuntimeExceptionHelperModules.

Per Microsoft's documentation, LocalDumps is "configured and controlled independently of the rest of the WER infrastructure"; DumpCount is the maximum number of dump files WER keeps (default 10), and DumpType=0 selects a custom dump driven by CustomDumpFlags. Setting DumpCount=0 simply stops WER from retaining its own duplicate dump when local dump collection is enabled on the machine.

Changes

  • Removed the incorrect "stops creating dumps after a few of the same type" statement.
  • Added an "Optional: Suppressing WER Local Dumps" subsection explaining that only RuntimeExceptionHelperModules is required and that BugSplat writes its own minidump.
  • Reframed the DumpType / DumpCount table as optional duplicate-dump suppression, with accurate descriptions of each value.
  • Noted that omitting the key has no effect on BugSplat when local dump collection is off.
  • Linked Microsoft's Collecting User-Mode Dumps page alongside WER Settings.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

https://claude.ai/code/session_01Hci8qhAhPSkzqFM7eWfKCM


Generated by Claude Code

The upgrade guide claimed WER stops creating dumps after a few crashes
of the same type and that DumpType=0 / DumpCount=0 were needed to
disable this. That is not how these values work, and BugSplat does not
consume the dumps WER writes: BugSplatMonitor writes its own minidump
when WER hands a crash to BugSplatWer.dll.

Reword the section to explain that only the RuntimeExceptionHelperModules
entry is required, and that the LocalDumps values merely prevent WER from
writing a duplicate dump when local dump collection is enabled.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5.1 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Hci8qhAhPSkzqFM7eWfKCM
Copilot AI lite review requested due to automatic review settings September 4, 2026 02:22

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🟢 Approval recommended

Only minor documentation structure feedback remains, with no functional or high-risk changes introduced.

Pull request overview

This PR updates the BugSplat for Windows upgrade guide to clarify that WER LocalDumps registry settings are optional for BugSplat’s WER integration, and corrects the prior (inaccurate) rationale for those values.

Changes:

  • Adds an “Optional: Suppressing WER Local Dumps” subsection explaining that only RuntimeExceptionHelperModules is required for BugSplat WER integration.
  • Reframes DumpType / DumpCount as optional settings to suppress WER’s duplicate local dumps when local dump collection is enabled.
  • Updates references/links to Microsoft WER documentation.
File summaries
File Description
introduction/getting-started/integrations/desktop/cplusplus/bugsplat-for-windows-upgrade-guide.md Clarifies optional WER LocalDumps behavior and updates guidance/linking around registry settings.
Review details
  • Files reviewed: 1/1 changed files
  • Comments generated: 1
  • Review effort level: Lite

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<figure><img src="../../../../../.gitbook/assets/image (1) (1) (1).png" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

By default, WER will stop creating crash dumps after it has seen a few of the same type. To disable this, create the following registry key:&#x20;
#### **Optional: Suppressing WER Local Dumps**
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3 participants