Note The diagnostic that is described in this article can be used in the following versions of Windows:
- Windows 8, Windows Server 2012
- Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2
- Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008
- Windows XP
Sufficent privileges are required for time travel tracing. You may have to start a user application process by using the Run As Administrator option before you can run the diagnostic. The background tracing option might also be of consideration.
When you run the Time Travel Tracing diagnostic, you are prompted to select from among the following tracing options:
- Select one or more processes from a list of currently running applications on your computer.
- Select one or more processes by entering the name of the program.
- Select one or more processes by entering the name of a matching module that the program loaded.
- Define one program that will be traced after it starts.
If you enter the name of a program, you are prompted to do the following:
- Trace currently running applications
- Start a trace when the application starts
For a supplied program name, you are prompted to select which process to trace if several instances are currently running.
Next, select the specific options that you want. The current options are as follows.
The
Tracing Options dialog box provides the following similar options:
- Set a timer for tracing.
- Set a maximum size of trace file.
- Trace to a ring buffer.
- Run a non-interactive or background trace.
- Trace through the children processes.
When you run this diagnostic, the collected traces are automatically compressed and uploaded to Microsoft Support. A total size of up to 2 GB can be uploaded.
If the results files are larger than 2 GB after compression, some of the files will not be uploaded. Instead, they will be left on your system. In this case, you must contact a support agent to ask for an alternative way to upload the remaining collected information.
Information collected
The following data may be collected by the Time Travel Tracing diagnostic that is run by the Microsoft Support Diagnostic tyool.
Because the .run files are typically large (usually more than 100 MB), the diagnostic may take several minutes to complete.
General information
| Description | File Name |
Basic System Information including machine name,
operating system name and service pack, computer model,
processor architecture and speed.
| resultreport.xml
|
Time Travel Tracing (iDNA) Output
| Description | File Name |
Text file containing a list of the .zip files generated by the diagnostic.
The .zip filenames and parent folder location are provided.
The size of each file and the total size of all files are shown.
| {Computername} _TracesFile_Information.txt
|
OUT file containing information on collecting the trace in {ProcessName}XY.run. Where XY is 01, 02, …, depending the number of instances of {ProcessName} being traced at the same time.
The location and name of the uncompressed .run file is listed in the file.
| {ProcessName}XY.out
|
RUN file of the trace. {ProcessName}XY.run corresponds to the process {ProcessName}, XY is 01, 02, …, depending the number of instances of ProcessName being traced at the same time.
| {ProcessName}XY.run
|