Before getting into the installation and use of WinDbg for W8, I looked for additional sources to help with crash resolution. Just Googling "Windows 8 crash" returned forums, guides, tools and books, all offering varying levels of help.
For example, I went to Experts-Exchange.com and typed "windows 8 crash", "windbg" and other terms. Immediately, results were listed. However, to read them you must subscribe for a fee. For the purposes of this article I was granted access and, in short order, was rewarded with good information.
I also tried WhoCrashed by Resplendence Software Projects Sp. It is a handy tool that will, upon first installation, report on what crashes have occurred to that point. From then on it will report following each crash event. Essentially, for a modest price, it nabs the data provided by WinDbg but presents it in a friendlier manner. And
Microsoft offers its Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) for subscribers to its Software Assurance Plan, which performs crash analysis among a host of other functions. Being an enterprise-level offering, DaRT is far from inexpensive. However, for those managing many systems, it can be well worth it.
