Respond to crashing and crash dumps

Summary

Procedure

1. Soft Crashes
   Locate the crash dump here: (Windows 7/2008 Server) C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\ESRI\ErrorReports (XP/2003 Server) C:\Documents and Settings\<User Name>\Application Data\ESRI\ErrorReports
   Go to the Doctor site.
   Upload the Crash Dump.
   Every Crash Dump has a CR Number.
   If a CR has been exported to Nimbus, this can be seen from the Doctor page linked to QA Monitor.
   [edit] Further Reading
   http://blogs.esri.com/support/blogs/supportcenter/archive/2010/02/11/arcmap-crashed-send-us-your-report.aspx
   
   
2. Hard Crashes (or Crashes to which a Crash Dump isn't Useful)
   Hard crashes are ArcGIS Desktop software crashes that occur at a level below the ArcGIS Software itself. Rarely are these issues a problem with ArcGIS Desktop but instead a problem with OS (Operating System), Hardware, Registry Corruption, etc.
   
   [edit] How to Support a Hard Crash
   If a customer reports a Hard Crash, one that does not generate a crash dump (above), the first step is to try to reproduce the crash in house using the same data and/or workflow. If the issue is reproducible in house, a bug should be logged against the specific dataset or workflow that causes the hard crash.
   
   If the hard crash cannot be reproduced, the issue is at a level far below the ArcGIS Software stack. The best advice Esri can offer in these cases is (in order of severity):
   
   Try an Administrator Level Account
   Try a Local Windows Profile Account
   Repair the ArcGIS Software
   Re-install the ArcGIS Software
   Re-install the .NET Framework (version applicable to product such as 3.5.1 for ArcGIS Desktop 10)
   Re-install MSXML 4
   Seek help from IT department
   Consider re-imaging the machine
   Consider replacing the machine