How to fix Event ID 46 (Crash dump initialization failed) in Windows?

Event ID 46 from the source volmgr, "Crash dump initialization failed!", means Windows started without a place ready to save a crash dump. Microsoft says the usual reason is a missing paging file, and that the event can be ignored after a clean install. If it appears at every start, set the paging file back to System managed size on the Windows drive.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2, with notes for Windows Server.

What volmgr Event ID 46 "Crash dump initialization failed!" means

volmgr is the Volume Manager driver of Windows. At every start it prepares the place where Windows will write a memory dump if the system stops with a blue screen. When that preparation fails, it logs Event ID 46 with the level Error and the text "Crash dump initialization failed!"

Microsoft's article on the event names one cause: the computer booted without a configured dump file. The default dump file is the paging file (pagefile.sys). On a clean install, the very first boot always hits this, because the paging file does not exist yet.

• The full event. Log Name System, Source volmgr, Event ID 46, Level Error, Keywords Classic, User N/A.
• Its spellings in searches. volmgr 46, event 46 volmgr, volmgr error 46, ID 46, and the text with or without the exclamation mark.
• Not the same as event 161. The volmgr message "Dump file creation failed due to error during dump creation" is logged after a crash, when Windows tried to write the dump and failed. Fix 1 tells them apart.
• Not an app error. No program shows this message. You only see it in Event Viewer, Reliability Monitor or a log tool.

Why crash dump initialization fails, most common cause first

Most often the paging file is off or was moved. Less often the dump setting points to a drive or size Windows cannot use. Rarely the disk or its driver cannot be reached at that early moment of startup.

How to fix volmgr Event ID 46

Fix 1 tells you whether there is anything to fix. Fixes 2 and 3 solve most repeat cases and take about ten minutes with one restart. Fixes 4 to 6 are for the rare cases where the settings are right and the event stays. Fix 7 is for readers whose PC also crashes.

Fix 1. Check when event 46 appears and what stands next to it

5 minutesNo riskEveryone who found event 46 and wants to know whether it needs a fix.

Microsoft says event 46 can be ignored after a clean install or when no dump is wanted. Its timing and its neighbours tell you which case is yours, and whether a crash sits next to it.

1. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin). On Windows 10, type PowerShell in the search box, right-click Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator.
2. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.
3. Paste the command below and press Enter. It lists the volmgr events and the start and crash events of the last 30 days, oldest first.
4. Check the ProviderName column. Only rows from volmgr with Id 46 are this event.
5. Count the days with a 46. One row on the install date means it was the first boot.
6. Look at the rows with the same start time: a Kernel-Power 41, a 6008 or a 1001 there means the PC crashed or lost power before that start.

PowerShell (as administrator): volmgr and start events, last 30 days

Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{ LogName='System'; Id=41,46,161,162,1001,6005,6008; StartTime=(Get-Date).AddDays(-30) } |
  Sort-Object TimeCreated |
  Format-Table TimeCreated, Id, ProviderName, Message -Wrap

Fix 2. Set the paging file to System managed size on the Windows drive

5 minutes and a restartLow riskEvent 46 appears at every start, or you once turned off, shrank or moved the paging file.

Microsoft's resolution for event 46 is to complete the paging file setup, because the paging file is the default dump file. A small dump needs a paging file of at least 2 MB on the boot volume.

1. Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl and select OK. System Properties opens.
2. Open the Advanced tab. Under Performance, select Settings.
3. In Performance Options, open the Advanced tab and select Change under Virtual memory.
4. Tick Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
5. If the box was already ticked, clear it, select the C: drive, choose System managed size and select Set.
6. Select OK in each window and restart the PC when Windows asks.

PowerShell: check the paging file before and after

Get-CimInstance Win32_ComputerSystem | Select-Object AutomaticManagedPagefile
Get-CimInstance Win32_PageFileUsage | Select-Object Name, AllocatedBaseSize, CurrentUsage

Fix 3. Choose Automatic memory dump in Startup and Recovery

5 minutes and a restartLow riskThe paging file is fine, but the dump setting is (none), Complete memory dump on a small paging file, or a path on another drive.

The dump type decides how large the paging file must be. A complete dump needs a paging file as large as all RAM plus 257 MB, so the wrong type on a normal paging file can leave no usable dump file.

1. Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl and select OK. On the Advanced tab, select Settings under Startup and Recovery.

   

2. Under System failure, keep Write an event to the system log ticked.
3. Under Write debugging information, choose Automatic memory dump. This is the Windows default.

   

4. Check that Dump file shows %SystemRoot%\MEMORY.DMP. If it points to a drive that no longer exists, type that path back.
5. Select OK, close System Properties and restart the PC.

Automatic memory dump

CrashDumpEnabled = 7. Saved as %SystemRoot%\MEMORY.DMP.

Kernel memory dump

CrashDumpEnabled = 2. Needs a paging file large enough for kernel memory.

Complete memory dump

CrashDumpEnabled = 1. Needs a paging file of all RAM plus 257 MB on a local volume.

Small memory dump

CrashDumpEnabled = 3. One file per crash in %SystemRoot%\Minidump; needs a paging file of 2 MB or more on the boot volume.

None

CrashDumpEnabled = 0. No dump is written, and Microsoft says event 46 can then be ignored.

PowerShell: read the current dump settings (changes nothing)

Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl' |
  Select-Object CrashDumpEnabled, DumpFile, MinidumpDir, LogEvent, AutoReboot

Fix 4. Free up space on the Windows drive

10 minutesLow riskThe paging file and dump settings are right, and the C: drive is almost full.

Windows needs room on the boot volume for the paging file it uses as the dump file. With almost no free space, a System managed paging file cannot grow to the size the dump type asks for.

Use Storage settings and Disk Cleanup to remove temporary files, then restart. Step by step: Free up disk space and delete temporary files

1. Open Storage settings. Select Start > Settings > System > Storage. The top of the page shows how full the drive is and what uses the space.
2. Open Cleanup recommendations. Under Storage management, select Cleanup recommendations.

   

3. Clean up what Windows suggests. Open each group (Temporary files, Large or unused files, Files synced to the cloud, Unused apps), check the items you do not need and select Clean up in that group.

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 (screenshots: 26H2). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Free up disk space and delete temporary files

Fix 5. Check the Windows drive for file system errors

10 to 30 minutesLow riskThe System log shows disk or NTFS warnings, or the PC lost power during a write.

The dump file lives on the Windows drive. If the file system there is damaged, Windows can fail to prepare the paging file as a dump target at startup.

Run chkdsk on C:, schedule the repair for the next start and read the result afterwards. Step by step: Check a disk for errors (chkdsk)

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator. Type cmd in the search box on the taskbar, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.
2. Scan the drive without changing anything. Type the command below and press Enter. Replace C: with another drive letter to check that drive. This scan only reports; it does not fix anything.

   chkdsk C:

   

3. If errors were found, run the repair. Run chkdsk with /f to fix file system errors. On the Windows drive (C:) chkdsk cannot lock the drive while Windows is running, so it offers to check it at the next restart.

   chkdsk C: /f

   

4. Schedule the check and restart. Type Y and press Enter, then restart the PC. chkdsk runs before Windows starts. Do not turn the PC off while it runs.

These steps were written for Windows 11 and Windows 10 (the steps are the same). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Check a disk for errors (chkdsk)

Fix 6. Update the storage controller and chipset drivers

15 minutesLow riskEvent 46 started after a new motherboard, a BIOS update, a change of the SATA or RAID mode, or a new NVMe drive.

At a crash, Windows writes the dump through the driver of the disk controller. Users report messages such as "The system could not sucessfully load the crash dump driver" after controller changes, and a current driver from the maker removes that mismatch.

1. Note your motherboard or PC model: press Win + R, type msinfo32 and read BaseBoard Product or System Model.
2. Download the chipset and storage (SATA, RAID or NVMe) drivers for that model from the board or PC maker's support page.
3. Install them and restart.
4. If you changed the SATA mode in the firmware (AHCI, RAID or Intel VMD) after Windows was installed, set it back to what it was.

To update or roll back one driver in Device Manager: Update, roll back or reinstall a driver

Fix 7. If the PC also crashes: repair system files and find the real crash

30 minutesLow riskYour PC restarts, freezes or shows blue screens, and event 46 sits next to those crashes in the log.

Event 46 only says the last crash could not be saved. Once Fixes 2 and 3 make the dump work, the next crash leaves a stop code and a file, and those name the driver or part behind it.

1. Repair the Windows files once with DISM and SFC: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files
2. In Startup and Recovery, clear Automatically restart for a while, so the next blue screen stays on screen and you can note the stop code.
3. After the next crash, check for C:\Windows\MEMORY.DMP or a new file in C:\Windows\Minidump.
4. Read the event 41, 1001 and 6008 entries of that crash. Our guide to Event ID 6008 shows how to read them together.
5. After a new CPU, update the motherboard firmware to a version whose CPU support list names your processor, and run the memory test: How to test your RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic

If event 46 stays: what to collect and when it is hardware

When the paging file is System managed on C:, the dump type is Automatic and event 46 still appears at every start, collect the facts before changing more settings. A repair shop, the PC maker or Microsoft Support can work with them.

• The event history. The output of the command in Fix 1 for 30 days or more.
• The paging file and dump settings. The output of the two read-only commands in Fix 2 and Fix 3.
• What changed. A new CPU, board, drive, BIOS version, SATA mode or a tuning tool before the first event 46.
• Dump files, if any. %SystemRoot%\MEMORY.DMP and the files in %SystemRoot%\Minidump.
• Disk health. The chkdsk result from Fix 5 and any disk or NTFS warnings in the System log.

How to keep event 46 from coming back

• Leave the paging file on. Tuning guides that turn it off to save space or "speed up" an SSD are the most common way back to event 46.
• Keep one paging file on C:. A paging file on a second drive is fine as an extra, not as the only one.
• Keep Automatic memory dump. It sizes itself to what the paging file allows.
• Keep free space on C:. A nearly full Windows drive leaves no room for the paging file to grow.
• Check the log after hardware changes. Run the command from Fix 1 once after a new CPU, board, drive or BIOS update.

These settings cost nothing in daily use. They only matter on the day the PC crashes, when a saved dump is the fastest way to the cause.

Frequently asked questions

What does Event ID 46 "Crash dump initialization failed!" mean?

It means the Volume Manager driver, volmgr, could not prepare a place to save a crash dump while Windows was starting. Microsoft's article on the event says this happens when the computer boots without a configured dump file. The default dump file is the paging file, so the usual reason is a paging file that is off, too small or not on the Windows drive. The event does not mean anything crashed at that moment. It means a crash, if one came later, could not be saved.

Is volmgr 46 something I need to fix?

Not always. Microsoft says the event can be ignored when it is logged during a clean install, or when you do not want a dump file. One event 46 on the day Windows was installed is normal, because the paging file did not exist yet on that first boot. If it appears at every start, the dump setup is broken and it is worth a fix, mainly so that a future blue screen leaves evidence. Fix 1 shows which case you have in about five minutes.

Does Event ID 46 cause crashes or blue screens?

No. Event 46 is logged at startup and only reports that crash dumps cannot be saved. People see it next to crashes because the start after a crash logs it together with Kernel-Power 41 or event 6008. The crash has another cause: a driver, overheating, power, memory or the firmware. Fixing event 46 makes the next crash leave a dump file and a stop code, and those point to the real cause. Fix 7 covers that path.

My PC crashes since I replaced the CPU, and the log shows event 46. What now?

Treat them as two problems. First restore the paging file and the dump settings with Fix 2 and Fix 3, so the next crash is recorded. Then work on the crash. After a CPU swap, check that the motherboard firmware is a version whose CPU support list names the new processor, that memory runs at settings the board supports, and that the cooler is seated well. Run the memory test from Fix 7. If crashes continue, read the stop code and the dump.

Where is the Windows crash dump file?

With Automatic, Kernel or Complete memory dump, Windows writes %SystemRoot%\MEMORY.DMP, which is normally C:\Windows\MEMORY.DMP. The next crash overwrites it while Overwrite any existing file is ticked. Small memory dumps go to %SystemRoot%\Minidump, one new file per crash, with the date in the name. You can see and change both paths in Startup and Recovery under Dump file. The registry values behind them are DumpFile and MinidumpDir under the CrashControl key.

How do I enable crash dumps on Windows 11?

Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl and select OK. On the Advanced tab, select Settings under Startup and Recovery. Under Write debugging information, choose Automatic memory dump and keep the dump file at %SystemRoot%\MEMORY.DMP. Then make sure the paging file is System managed on the C: drive, as in Fix 2, and restart. Microsoft notes that the changes take effect only after a restart. The steps are the same on Windows 10.

What does "Dump file creation failed due to error during dump creation" from volmgr mean?

It is a different volmgr event from event 46. It is logged after a crash, when Windows tried to write the dump and could not finish it. So a crash did happen, and the evidence was lost. The causes overlap with event 46: a paging file that is too small for the dump type, too little free space on C:, or a disk or storage driver problem. Work through Fix 2 to Fix 5, and read the crash itself with Fix 7.

Should I set NMICrashDump in the registry to fix event 46?

No. Some older guides, our earlier version of this page included, suggest creating the NMICrashDump value under the CrashControl key. Microsoft says this value is not required on Windows 8 and later or Windows Server 2012 and later, and that setting it there has no effect. It was meant for servers that start a dump with a hardware NMI switch. It does not touch the paging file problem behind event 46, so leave the registry alone and use Fix 2 and Fix 3.

What does "shift was held during dump initialization" mean?

We could not find this text in Microsoft's documentation of the volmgr events, so we cannot say what writes it or what it means. If you see it in your own log, note its source and event ID and run the command from Fix 1, which lists every volmgr event of the last 30 days. If it sits next to event 46 at every start, the paging file and dump settings in Fix 2 and Fix 3 are still the place to begin.

Is there a guide in Portuguese, Russian or Korean for volmgr 46?

This page is in English only. The steps are the same in every language of Windows, but the names on screen are translated. In Portuguese Windows the event text is the translation of "Crash dump initialization failed!", and people search for it as "volmgr 46 crash dump initialization failed solução" or "erro volmgr 46". The event ID 46 and the source volmgr do not change with the language, so the commands in Fix 1 to Fix 3 work as written.