SP 1 Update

You shouldn't have to boot from it it's an update not a operating system.
Just run it off the disc.

don't install symbol packs that way just get windbg and follow the msn instructions for symbols.
Use the Microsoft Symbol Server to obtain debug symbol files

smsff7 said:

seekermeister said:

smsff7 said:

Strange, but I think I remember there was an update that was needed for future updates. So maybe one of them is needed before it will give you the option?

I do remember something about that update, but it seems to me that it was released after SP1, therefore it shouldn't be involved...don't know.

I thought one was released before SP1 was released.

This may be the update you are referring to:



Source: Windows 7 (KB976902) to enable future updates. - Microsoft Answers


First it was on.
Then it was off.
Then it was back on.
Pa Bear's last edit was on 1-12-11

The links he provides in order:
Demystifying KB976902, a.k.a. Microsoft’s “Blackhole” Update — Krebs on Security

An update that prevents a "0xC0000034" error message when you try to install Windows 7 SP1 or Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 is available

Windows Update - Hide or Restore Hidden Updates

I willingly installed it, surprisingly on 1-12-11 with no ill effects.


SP1 was installed on 2-22-11 first attempt.

Have you seen this thread? Standalone debugging symbols: Free or checked?

Then:

The symbol download packages are listed by processor type (x86, Itanium, and x64) and build type (retail and checked). Almost all customers require the symbols for the retail version. If you are debugging a special version of Windows with extra debugging information, then you should download the symbols for the checked version.

Source: Download Windows Symbol Packages

So far this is the best description I have found for retail (free) and checked. From my Windbg program help files ver :

Windows Symbols
Microsoft Windows 2000 keeps its symbols in files with the extensions .pdb and .dbg. Windows XP and later versions of Windows use .pdb files exclusively. Windows drivers can follow either model.
The compiler and the linker control the symbol format. The Visual C++ 5.0 Linker creates both .pdb and .dbg symbol files — the .dbg files it creates are essentially pointers to the .pdb files. The Visual C++ 6.0 Linker, as well as the linkers of later versions of Visual Studio, places all symbols into .pdb files.
The Windows operating system is built in two versions. The free build (or retail build) has relatively small binaries, and the checked build (or debug build) has larger binaries, with more debugging symbols in the code itself. Each of these builds has its own symbol files. When debugging a target on Windows, you must use the symbol files that match the build of Windows on the target.
The following table lists several of the directories which exist in a standard Windows symbol tree:
Directory Contains Symbol Files for ACM Microsoft Audio Compression Manager files COM Executable files (.com) CPL Control Panel programs DLL Dynamic-link library files (.dll) DRV Driver files (.drv) EXE Executable files (.exe) SCR Screen-saver files SYS Driver files (.sys)

More:

Select the Debugging Tools option under the Common Utilities if you want the x64 version of the Debugging Tools and you are installing on an x64 computer. This option automatically detects the CPU architecture of the computer on which you are installing the tools and it is the fastest method of installing the tools.

Source: Debugging Tools for Windows 64-bit Version

Allowing the download center to determine your CPU architecture would seem to me the best option, then if you need the others you could download them later i.e. (x86, and Itanium).

Maybe Windbg is the way to go, as Magnuscreed suggests,

I have found when I use Windbg if it needs a certain set of files it will go and get them

small note when you install windbg after you run the symbol command I linked, be sure to save your workspace and then close right away before doing anything else
from then on you start with it automatically loaded.