If Microsoft Can't Crash Your System

[Hurmoth]

TweakXP has posted a way for you to crash your system with just a simple key combination:

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Windows-XP has a "feature" (???) with which it is possible to manually crash a system by simply holding the right CTRL key and pressing the "Scroll Lock" key twice. This feature can be turned on by the following steps:

1. Start regedit.

2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\Parameters

3. Create a new DWORD value and name it CrashOnCtrlScroll

4. Right-click on this newly created value and click on Modify

5. Enter 1 in the Value data field and click on OK.

6. Close regedit and reboot your system.

7. Now you can blue screen (crash) your system by holding the right CTRL key and pressing "Scroll Lock" twice.

Note: Your system may reboot or show a blue screen whenever this crash is initiated. If your system reboots after initiating the crash, and you want to see the blue screen, follow these steps:

1. Go to Control Panel > System

2. Click on the Advanced tab

3. Under Startup and Recovery, click the Settings button.

4. Under System failure, uncheck the option Automatically restart.

Happy crashing...

Sorry if this has already been posted, I couldn't find it and thought it was something we could all have a laugh at! :rofl:

TweakXP.com - Manually Crash Your System

Edited April 23, 2004 by NeoSoft

[thollian]

lol

[BananaMan]

This is actually very old. This was documented way back in Windows 2000 days. Still, thanks for the post. :)

[Hurmoth]

I thought it would have been, being something so crazy ... but since I couldn't find it, I thought I would post it any way (sry to anyone who has already seen this)!

[ramian]

The purpose of this is to manually create the minidump file in C:\Windows\minidump so that techies can analyse the dump file when Windows hangs or freezes. So, even if no other key works when Windows freezes, the Right Ctrl and Scroll Lock key combination will cause the minidump to be created. This minidump can be used for debugging purposes together with the ntoskrnl.exe file.

Anyway, I don't think Sir William would design an OS which can be crashed on purpose WITHOUT having a logical reason behind it.

cheers!

Edited March 18, 2004 by ramian

[Gary_Player]

  ramian said:

The purpose of this is to manually create the minidump file in C:\Windows\minidump so that techies can analyse the dump file when Windows hangs or freezes. So, even if no other key works when Windows freezes, the Right Ctrl and Scroll Lock key combination will cause the minidump to be created.

Thank you...I was wondering why something this dumb would exist :blink:

[Banzai]

Why did ms fix this, its dumb thanks i might try it when i get my laptop back

[YaZoR]

of course, microsoft have to test their OS to see if it crashes properly :p

[John Veteran]

This doesn't technically crash the system, it just initiates the crash handlers :whistle:

BTW, very old. I know it was around when Windows 2000 came out, and I'd imagine it's in NT4 too.

[Osiris]

Ive never seen this before, im sure this will come in handy for some fun time wasting hijinx around the office :)

[Hurmoth]

  gameguy said:

This doesn't technically crash the system, it just initiates the crash handlers :whistle:

BTW, very old. I know it was around when Windows 2000 came out, and I'd imagine it's in NT4 too.

I can't get this to work in Windows 2000, only in XP!

[John Veteran]

Did you follow the same instructions? :huh:

[ThunderRiver]

That's because the "actual crash" was first reported last year for XP. I have never heard such "crash" technique for 2000. Though I know that key combinations should create manual minidump.

[John Veteran]

Here's the MSKB article about this:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=244139

[Hurmoth]

  gameguy said:

Did you follow the same instructions? :huh:

Yes, exactly the same! Is there a different way for 2000?

[John Veteran]

Follow the link above. Make sure you reboot after adding the registry value (Y)

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Please note that the steps below will not work on Legacy Free computers--for example, those that use a USB keyboard.

If your computer doesn't have serial ports, PS/2 ports, etc, then it won't work because this is handled by the keyboard driver. If you have a USB keyboard, then it won't work.

[ThunderRiver]

Is there any sendkey programs out there that actually automate it?

[+John Teacake MVC]

  ThunderRiver said:

Is there any sendkey programs out there that actually automate it?

in vb to just get a blue screen error so to speak by typing

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Call Shell C\con\con

or something like that.

[+John Teacake MVC]

Ah just read it you have to add something to the registry. Can anyone make a .reg file with this in for me please. Thanks in Advance.

[Hankyone]

cooool i will crash my system!! :p :pc:

[ThunderRiver]

  Sawyer12 said:

in vb to just get a blue screen error so to speak by typing

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Call Shell C\con\con

or something like that.

Nope

That's the known vulnerability in Pre Windows 98 SE era. It doesn't affect NT system

[Yuxi]

I saw that on TweakXP not too long ago. :D