While writing the dump is easy, getting readable stack traces requires you to upload the corresponding .pdb symbol files to the Steamworks backend every time you upload a new build to Steam. If you forget this step, the crash reports will be useless binary garbage.
The Steamworks API provides several functions for detailed error reporting: Writes the .mdmp file. SteamAPI_SetMiniDumpComment Adds custom notes to the dump. SteamAPI_SetMiniDumpCustomData Includes specific data points for analysis. 5. Conclusion
The most common way to implement this is within an Exception Handler or a try-catch block for SEH (Structured Exception Handling) exceptions.
The WriteMiniDump function is part of the Steam API's ISteamUtils interface. To use this function, you will need to: SteamAPI WriteMiniDump
On its own, SteamAPI_WriteMiniDump does nothing. It needs to be integrated into an application's exception-handling flow. This is done by . Specifically, a developer must use the Win32 function _set_se_translator , which converts a native, hardware-level exception (like accessing invalid memory) into a typed, C++-style exception that can be caught and processed.
The game tried to read or write to an invalid or null memory pointer.
Have you encountered any unusual behaviour with SteamAPI_WriteMiniDump? Share your war stories in the comments—every crash is a lesson waiting to be learned. While writing the dump is easy, getting readable
If you are encountering this error while trying to play a game, follow these solutions in order.
That means SteamAPI_WriteMiniDump (and the entire error‑reporting system it belongs to) is being actively developed and will eventually be removed or replaced. For new projects, Valve recommends adopting more modern crash‑reporting solutions.
The function signature is straightforward: SteamAPI_SetMiniDumpComment Adds custom notes to the dump
That night, long after the servers had gone to sleep, Eli booted an old VM and wrote a tiny script that watched minidump writes and created an immutable ledger entry whenever one succeeded. Not because he expected another failure, but because the machine’s small truths deserved a chain of custody. The ledger was quiet as the grave and just as important.
“Because you ignored my bug report. 147 days ago. I told you about the airship turret desync. You closed the ticket. ‘Working as intended.’”
Once a .dmp file is written (usually in the game’s install folder or in %LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps ), analyze it with: