Windows 7: Configuring the "Debugging Tools"

Don't know if the OP is still active due to date - however

Excellent tuorial

I spent a couple of hours with BSOD expert zigzag yesterday (thankyou sir)
trying to figure some of this stuff out over an IM session.

Once again I should have taken some of my own advice and come straight to the tutorials
section and I would have saved zigzag and myself somewhere in the vicinity of an hour plus we would probably both have a lot more hair!

I am about to read through every other thing I can find here at the forums in this section and
in particular, how to find information on how to decisively solve reported errors and critical events
from event viewer logs. I have worked a couple of these out in the past however I usually find it very
difficult to find specific problem related information.

Anyway - great work H2S04 - two thumbs up

Hi All

I am trying to install the debugger package as described in this article.
From following the instructions as set out, it takes me to this page here >> Download and Install Debugging Tools for Windows

From here I see the following options for Windows 7;

It now appears I need a MDSN subsciption to download the debug tools! Has it now been withdrawn from the general public?

Just to add I have now solved my problem. This was done by installing the SDK (Software Development Kit) and ensuring the option for installing the debug tools is checked. The 64x version of the SDK can be found here : Download: Microsoft Windows SDK 7.1 - Microsoft Download Center - Download Details

Regards.

It still works. I just installed all of the Common Utilities including the Debugging Tools. However, since it is 2 years later, even though I installed as per the tutorial's instructions for a shorter program path, the SDK v7.1 installed it anyway into its default location:
"C:\Program Files\Debugging Tools for Windows (x64)\windbg.exe"

I now have the SDK v7.1 installed in 2 locations, its default above and also on my D: partition. The D: partition only has 2.5 MB's and the default above has about 41 MB's and probably about 255 MB's somewhere else on the C: O/S partition. I recommend you disregard the older tutorial's instructions regarding program location installation and simply use the default location now. This way everything is together. However, I also followed the tutorial's instructions regarding a separate Symbols folder and it already has 65 MB's so continue following that.

Many thanks to H2SO4 for posting his tutorial. Today, on my relatively new 9 month old system, I got my third BSOD in as many months. I was using BlueScreenView and it wasn't giving me enough specific information. I did get a kick out of the reproduced BlueScreen though. When you see a real MS BSOD, it gives you about 15 seconds to read it and then your system reboots. You practically need a camera to be able to study it!

WinDbg gives me accurate information. Microsoft has really improved their software. I was able to pinpoint the problem to nvlddmkm.sys, an nVidia video driver file. I will update them later. One thing I find difficult are the "kd>" commands on the bottom of the screen. I looked in the help file and I cannot find any list or explanation for them. Can someone please tell me where in the Help file these commands are located?

When i load a specific dump file this happens , but if i get a .dmp from here the bug check seems to work fine any help thanx

I assume you're referring to the dump file initially loading then stopping after -
??

If so, type/ paste in the commands at the kd> command line -
That sometimes happens to me (Windbg pausing/ waiting); not sure exactly why.

In the 6.12 version you are running, additional commands may be helpful -
It also appears to me that the command window is "out".

2x-click anywhere along the yellow highlighted area the red arrows are pointing to:

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

JC, would you mind defining each of those debugging commands you have listed?

Another thing, sometimes when debugging a dump file it'll say "timestamp for example.sys could not be loaded, symbols for example.sys could not be loaded". What does this mean, exactly? I believe I've had a few dumps that the driver in those "errors" I guess you could call them were the culprit.

!analyze -v - analyze command verbose mode
r - show registers
kv - display stack backtrace

List loaded modules command
lmtn
lmtsmn

t = display timestamps
n = display image name
sm = sort s by module name (default = "start" memory address)

Those commands will list the loaded drivers twice - 1 sorted by memory address; 1 sorted by driver name

Please see - [Advanced] Principles of debugging


Yes - 3rd party driver symbol errors usually = guilty

Microsoft OS drivers can show up with symbol errors for several different reasons
- symbol config is wrong
- the symbol file is not available from the MSDL SYM site, e.g., possibly a recent Windows Update updated the driver and it has not yet been added (happened recently with win32k.sys)
- dump is corrupted
- cracked Windows
- other...

Try .reload command

Regards. . .

John

Just what I wanted, thanks a ton!

My pleasure to try and help/ explain.

If you have not yet found the Windbg HELP file, look for debugger.chm in the Windbg installation directory, usually - c:\program files\debugging tools for windows

Or type .hh in the kd> Windbg command line.

Regards. . .

John