Without any iota of doubt, Windows 11 is a robust operating system, packed with a ton of exciting features. Beyond features, the OS is better optimized and comes with a wide range of security shields. But that doesn’t make it immune to crashes or performance issues.
When your system unexpectedly shuts down, freezes, or shows a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), it’s always advisable to get to the root of the problem. That’s where crash logs and error logs come into play. For those unfamiliar, these logs allow you to record system events and error messages that can help diagnose what went wrong—whether it’s a faulty driver, a failing hardware component, or a software conflict.
In this guide, I’m going to talk about the different ways to quickly check crash logs on Windows 11. Whether you’re a regular user trying to understand random reboots or an advanced user troubleshooting a recurring problem, these steps will help you access and interpret the information you need to resolve the issue effectively on your PC.
1. Use Event Viewer to Check System Logs
The Event Viewer, as the primary built-in tool in Windows, makes it pretty easy to view crash logs and error reports.
- To get going, press Windows + X and select Event Viewer.
- In the left pane, expand Windows Logs and click System.
- Look for entries labeled Error or Critical in the middle pane, especially those marked with a red exclamation or stop sign.
- Click on any entry to view detailed information about the crash.
- Use the Filter Current Log option to display only error or critical logs from the last 24 hours.
2. Check Reliability Monitor for a User-Friendly View
While the Reliability Monitor may be a lesser-known tool, you can count on this visual tool to understand the system stability and recent crashes.
- Simply, press Windows + S to bring up the search bar on your PC.
- After that, type Reliability Monitor, and open View reliability history.
- Now, you’ll see a graph showing the stability index and daily events.
- Red X marks indicate critical events like application crashes or system errors.
- Click on any day to expand the list of issues and view detailed information.
- You can now use the View technical details link for more in-depth error data.
3. Access Crash Dumps (Memory.dmp) for BSOD Analysis
If you experienced a BSOD, Windows may generate a dump file that stores critical memory information at the time of the crash.
- Navigate to C:\Windows\Minidump (for small dumps) or C:\Windows\MEMORY.DMP (for full dumps).
- Use tools like WinDbg Preview or BlueScreenView (third-party) to analyze the dump files.
- Open WinDbg Preview from the Microsoft Store, load the dump file, and type !analyze -v in the command bar to interpret the crash cause.
4. Check Application Logs for App-Specific Crashes
Be warned that some crashes are caused by specific applications rather than Windows itself.
- In Event Viewer, go to Windows Logs > Application.
- Filter the log to show only Error and Critical entries.
- Check for repeated application crashes or .NET Runtime errors.
- Note the Faulting module name or exception code for further investigation or reporting to the app developer.
5. Use PowerShell to View Recent Errors
If you prefer command-line tools, PowerShell is always there to help you list recent error events quickly.
- To get started, launch the Windows Terminal or PowerShell as Administrator.
- After that, run the following command –
Get-EventLog -LogName System -EntryType Error -Newest 10
Note that this command is designed to list out the 10 most recent system errors, such as the source, time, and a brief message.
And that’s about it! So, these are the most viable ways to keep track of the crash log on Windows 11. I hope you’ve got a fair understanding of how these tools work, haven’t you?
