Windows LiveKernelReports Folder (Live Kernel Dumps)

Bottom Line: It is 100% safe to delete the contents of LiveKernelReports. Deleting .dmp kernel dump files will not cause system instability, Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) crashes, or driver failures.

What is the LiveKernelReports Folder?

Located at C:\Windows\LiveKernelReports, this system directory is used by Windows to log Live Kernel Events.

Unlike full Blue Screen memory dumps (MEMORY.DMP), a Live Kernel Event occurs when a hardware driver (such as an NVIDIA graphics driver, Wi-Fi card driver, or USB controller) encounters a hardware timeout, resets silently in the background, and recovers without crashing Windows.

During driver resets, Windows writes .dmp diagnostic files into subfolders like WATCHDOG, USBHUB3, or WIFI. Over months of gaming or hardware driver resets, these dump files accumulate, wasting 2 GB to 15 GB+ of storage.

Can You Delete LiveKernelReports?

✅ Yes, it is completely safe to delete.

• Pure diagnostic logs: Live kernel dumps are only used by developers analyzing system crash logs in WinDbg.
• No system risk: Deleting dump files does not impact active drivers or system performance.

How to Safely Clean Up LiveKernelReports

Method 1: Delete via Windows Disk Cleanup (Recommended)

1. Press Win + R, type cleanmgr, and press Enter.
2. Click Clean up system files.
3. Select your C: drive and check System error memory dump files and System error minidump files.
4. Click OK to purge.

Method 2: Manual Deletion via File Explorer

1. Open C:\Windows\LiveKernelReports.
2. Select all .dmp files and subfolder dump contents.
3. Press Shift + Delete to permanently remove them.

Related Guides

• Learn about deleting Windows MEMORY.DMP.
• How to clean up Minidump files.
• Check if you can clean CBS logs.