If your Media Server or Desktop client crashes repeatedly, you can collect crash dump files to help the Support team diagnose the issue.

Follow these steps to find existing dump files, generate full crash dumps if requested, and send the files to Support.

Locate existing crash dumps

Before you change any settings, check your system for standard crash reports generated by default. Look for files with timestamps matching your most recent crash.

For Windows

Search for dump files with filenames containing mediaserver.exe, HD_Witness.exe, or Nx_Witness.exe in the following locations:

• Media Server: C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\*.dmp

• Desktop Client: C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\*.dmp

For Linux

Search for crash logs in the following locations:

• Media Server: /opt/networkoptix/mediaserver/var/crash/*mediaserver*.gdb-bt or /opt/networkoptix/mediaserver/bin/core

• Desktop Client: /home/<user>/desktop_client*.gdb-bt

Generate full crash dumps

If standard dumps don't provide enough detail, enable full crash memory logging.

Step 1: Enable full crash dumps

Set the createFullCrashDump parameter from false to true in your system configuration.

• Windows (Media Server): Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Network Optix\Network Optix Media Server\createFullCrashDump. Set the value to true.

• Windows (Desktop Client): Edit C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Network Optix\Network Optix HD Witness Client\settings\local\createFullCrashDump. Set the value to true.

• Ubuntu Linux (Media Server): Edit /opt/networkoptix/mediaserver/etc/mediaserver.conf and set createFullCrashDump to true.

• Ubuntu Linux (Desktop Client): Edit ~/.local/share/Network Optix/Network Optix HD Witness Client/settings/local/createFullCrashDump and set createFullCrashDump to true.

Step 2: Reproduce the crash and collect files

1. Restart both the Media Server and the Desktop client.

2. Repeat the steps that caused the initial crash.

3. Verify the generated crash dump file size. Full crash dumps are large (typically several hundred megabytes). If a file is only a few kilobytes, it isn't a full dump.

Step 3: Revert your configuration

After collecting the dump files, set createFullCrashDump back to false in your configuration to restore standard resource usage.

Force Windows to collect crash dumps

If your software crashes on Windows without generating a dump file, configure Windows Error Reporting (WER) to collect the file automatically.

Step 1: Create the LocalDumps registry key

1. Open the Registry Editor (regedit).

2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\.

3. Right-click the Windows Error Reporting folder, select New > Key, and name it LocalDumps.

Step 2: Configure registry values

Inside the new LocalDumps key, create the following values:

• DumpFolder: Create an Expandable String Value and set the path where you want dumps saved (for example, C:\dumps).

• DumpCount: Create a DWORD (32-bit) Value and set it to 2.

• DumpType: Create a DWORD (32-bit) Value and set it to 2 to capture full dumps.

Step 3: Retrieve the dump files

Reproduce the crash, then open your specified DumpFolder directory to find the generated .dmp files.

Share crash dumps

Crash dump files are usually too large to send by email. To submit your files to the Support team:

1. Upload the crash dump files to a cloud storage service, such as Google Drive or Dropbox.

2. Share the following information: 

   • The public download link to your dump files.

   • The software version incl the build number.