.NET Dump Analyzer - Fast WinDbg Edition

Analyze .NET dump files 10x faster using WinDbg automation. Get complete generation statistics (Gen 0, Gen 1, Gen 2, and Large Object Heap (LoH)) with live/dead object splits.

⚠️ Windows Only

This tool uses WinDbg which is Windows-only. It requires Windows 10/11 and will NOT work on macOS or Linux.

⚡ Performance

� Prerequisites

Required:

1. Windows 10/11 (64-bit)

2. Windows Debugging Tools (WinDbg)

   winget install Microsoft.WindowsSDK.10
   

   Or download: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/debugger/debugger-download-tools

3. Adequate RAM: At least 2x dump file size

4. SSD Storage: Strongly recommended for best performance

Optional:

• Node.js 18+: Only needed if building from source

�📊 Features

• ✅ Fast Analysis: 10x faster than dotnet-dump for large files
• ✅ Generation Statistics: LoH, Gen 2, Gen 1, Gen 0 breakdown
• ✅ Live vs Dead Objects: See memory allocation details
• ✅ Progress Tracking: Real-time analysis progress
• ✅ Cancellable: Stop analysis anytime
• ✅ Detailed Reports: Visual webview with complete statistics
• ✅ File Dialog: Easy .dmp file selection from Windows Explorer

🚀 Quick Start

Usage

Method 1: VS Code Extension

1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)
2. Run: .NET Dump: Analyze Dump File (Fast)
3. Select your .dmp file from the file dialog
4. View results in output panel and webview

Method 2: Standalone Tool (No Installation Required)

node analyze-dump.js "C:\path\to\your-dump.dmp"

📊 Output Example

======================================================================
GENERATION STATISTICS (LoH → Gen 2 → Gen 1 → Gen 0)
======================================================================

📦 LoH (Large Object Heap):
   Total Objects: 5,265
   Total Size:    1.23 MB
   Live Objects:  5,002 (1.17 MB)
   Dead Objects:  263 (63.24 KB)

📦 Gen 2:
   Total Objects: 13,163
   Total Size:    2.85 MB
   Live Objects:  11,847 (2.57 MB)
   Dead Objects:  1,316 (292.05 KB)

📦 Gen 1:
   Total Objects: 13,163
   Total Size:    1.78 MB
   Live Objects:  9,872 (1.34 MB)
   Dead Objects:  3,291 (456.75 KB)

📦 Gen 0:
   Total Objects: 21,064
   Total Size:    1.32 MB
   Live Objects:  12,638 (812.16 KB)
   Dead Objects:  8,426 (541.36 KB)

======================================================================
SUMMARY
======================================================================
Total Objects:      52,655
Total Heap:         7.18 MB
Live Objects:       5.08 MB (70.7%)
Dead Objects:       2.10 MB (29.3%)
======================================================================

⚙️ Configuration

Open Settings (Ctrl+,) and search for "dotnet dump":

{
  // Analyzer type (windbg is 10x faster)
  "dotnetDumpAnalyzer.analyzerType": "windbg",
  
  // Path to WinDbg cdb.exe
  "dotnetDumpAnalyzer.winDbgPath": "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Windows Kits\\10\\Debuggers\\x64\\cdb.exe"
}

🛠️ Troubleshooting

WinDbg Not Found

Solution: Install Windows Debugging Tools

winget install Microsoft.WindowsSDK.10

Or update path in VS Code settings.

Slow Performance

Check:

• Using SSD? (5-10x faster than HDD)
• Enough RAM? (Need 2x dump size)
• Antivirus disabled for dump directory?
• First run? (Symbol download adds time)

Out of Memory

Solution:

• Close other applications
• Ensure 2x dump file size available RAM
• For 20GB dump, need 40GB+ free RAM

📋 System Requirements

🎯 Use Cases

• Memory Leak Investigation: Identify which generation holds leaked objects
• Performance Analysis: Find objects awaiting garbage collection
• GC Tuning: Understand memory generation patterns
• Production Debugging: Fast analysis of large production dumps
• Automated Analysis: Use standalone tool in CI/CD pipelines

📝 Notes

• Windows Only: Requires WinDbg (not available on macOS/Linux)
• WinDbg (recommended): 10x faster, native memory-mapped file access
• dotnet-dump (legacy): Slower but doesn't require Windows SDK

👤 Author

Sagar Kamate
Email: sagar.kamate17@gmail.com

📄 License

MIT License - Free to use in your projects

� Quick Links

• Installation Guide: See EXTENSION-INSTALL.md
• User Guide: See USER-GUIDE.md
• Technical Docs: See WINDBG-OPTIMIZATION.md

Made with ❤️ for .NET developers on Windows

⚠️ Important: This tool requires Windows OS and cannot run on other operating systems.