Configure a Crash Detection Check

Get alerted when a system experiences a BSOD or kernel panic

Written By Erdinc Akay

Last updated 26 days ago

Add Check dialog for Crash Detection showing a 24 h lookback period with warning at 1 and critical at 3 crashes

A Crash Detection Check looks for traces of system crashes — blue screens (BSOD) on Windows and kernel panics on Linux. It alerts you to stability issues that might otherwise go unnoticed, especially on unattended servers.

Prerequisites

  • You need the Monitoring Check Management permission.
  • The target device must have a connected agent running Windows or Linux.
  • On Windows, crash dump files must be enabled (this is the default).

Steps

  1. Go to Devices and open the device.
  2. Click the Checks tab → Add Check → Crash Detection.
  3. Configure the check:
FieldRecommended valueDescription
Lookback period (hours)24 hoursHow far back the check looks for crash traces. Valid range is 1–720 hours (30 days); values outside this range are clamped.
Warning count1Number of crashes that triggers a warning. Valid range is 1–100; values outside are clamped.
Critical count3Number of crashes that triggers a critical result. Valid range is 1–100; if the warning count is higher than the critical count, the two values are swapped automatically.
  1. Click Add Check.

What the check reports

The check reports the number of detected crashes within the lookback period. On Windows, it scans the minidump directory (C:\Windows\Minidump) for dump files. On Linux, it checks /var/crash, /var/lib/systemd/coredump/, and kernel log entries.

Tips

  • A single crash on a server warrants investigation — set the warning threshold to 1.
  • On workstations, occasional BSODs caused by driver issues are less urgent — a warning at 1 and critical at 3 gives you visibility without excessive noise.
  • If crash dumps are disabled on a Windows device (rare), the check cannot detect BSODs. Verify the dump settings under System Properties → Startup and Recovery.
  • Warning and critical counts are clamped to 1–100. If you set the warning count higher than the critical count, the two values are swapped automatically.

After the first check interval, the result appears in the device's Checks tab.

See also: Crash Detection Check Reference