Backups keep failing on DumpStack.log.tmp

GregH · 15 Sep 2020

Hey all,

When trying to run a backup from a Dell Laptop to an external USB hard drive, the backup constantly gets stuck with the below error. This is Windows 10 Pro 2004.:
\DumpStack.log.tmp
Error: Failed to copy from Source : File is locked (C:\DumpStack.log.tmp): The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

I have read on another forum that this file can be switched off in the registry. Here is the excerpt from the Microsoft Forum that I found using Google:

dump stack logging can be disabled. To do so, enforce the following setting in Windows Registry:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl]
"EnableLogFile"=dword:00000000
In other words:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE", "SYSTEM", "CurrentControlSet", "Control", and finally "CrashControl"
Once you've opened the "CrashControl" key, look at the values pane to the right and look for "EnableLogFile". If it doesn't exist, create it. Its type must be "DWORD".
Set its value to 0.
Exit the Registry Editor.

Once you enforced the aforementioned setting, restart your computer. Only after a restart you'll be able to delete both files.

Alternatively, any other less intrusive ideas to work around this issue? This is a work colleagues laptop not mine.

Thanks in advance as always!

Steve C · 02 Nov 2020

GregH said:

Hey all,

When trying to run a backup from a Dell Laptop to an external USB hard drive, the backup constantly gets stuck with the below error. This is Windows 10 Pro 2004.:
\DumpStack.log.tmp
Error: Failed to copy from Source : File is locked (C:\DumpStack.log.tmp): The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

I have read on another forum that this file can be switched off in the registry. Here is the excerpt from the Microsoft Forum that I found using Google:

dump stack logging can be disabled. To do so, enforce the following setting in Windows Registry:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl]
"EnableLogFile"=dword:00000000
In other words:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE", "SYSTEM", "CurrentControlSet", "Control", and finally "CrashControl"
Once you've opened the "CrashControl" key, look at the values pane to the right and look for "EnableLogFile". If it doesn't exist, create it. Its type must be "DWORD".
Set its value to 0.
Exit the Registry Editor.

Once you enforced the aforementioned setting, restart your computer. Only after a restart you'll be able to delete both files.

Alternatively, any other less intrusive ideas to work around this issue? This is a work colleagues laptop not mine.

Thanks in advance as always!

I haven't seen this dump file before and applied the above fix after upgrading to v2004. What is dump stack logging and why does this file tend to appear after an upgrade to v2004?

OldNavyGuy · 02 Nov 2020

Thread from August on dump stack logging -

What is DumpStack.log.tmp is it safe to delete?

Steve C · 02 Nov 2020

OldNavyGuy said:

Thread from August on dump stack logging -

What is DumpStack.log.tmp is it safe to delete?

I saw that before posting but it doesn't answer my question

OldNavyGuy · 02 Nov 2020

GregH said:

When trying to run a backup from a Dell Laptop to an external USB hard drive, the backup constantly gets stuck with the below error. This is Windows 10 Pro 2004.:
\DumpStack.log.tmp
Error: Failed to copy from Source : File is locked (C:\DumpStack.log.tmp): The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

Not sure how you're doing the "backup", but we have the temp file on our systems and have never had a disk image fail because of it.

Normally, disk imaging programs back up from a shadow copy, rather than a live system.

You might try using a product like the free version of Macrium Reflect.

Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free