Just starting to learn how to Debug

[Anak]

Gentlemen/Ladies, as the case may be; Punkster, Maguscreed, DeanP, reventon, fimble, CarlTR6.....

If it seems I am being cautious, It is because this is my initial endeavor into Debugging, and I do not want to cause my equipment or myself any unnecessary stress with in-stalling and then un-installing programs that I do not need in order to preform the task of Debugging.

As I have said:

At the present time I have no plans for getting involved with:

• Windows Native Code Development or
• .NET Development

But Who knows? I do enjoy website development. And, at a later time I may need these programs in order to create (CSS) Cascading Style Sheets. But. For now, I just want to concentrate with Debugging.

Punkster, DeanP, reventon, fimble, Maguscreed, CarlTR6 You all have given me direction to think about, and as I read up on the link that has been supplied I am reminded what someone once told me,

Read all you can. Read through analyzes by those you know are good at BSOD analysis and look at the dump. Then it is practice, practice, practice.

It is getting late, and I want to look at that link CarlTR6 has supplied, then It's off to bed for me.
I will keep you informed.

Thank you all for your efforts,

Steve

 

[Anak]

:haha:
​

The debugger has been Bugged!.....:banghead:
​

Near the bottom of Carl's link was this:
Hardware Developer Debugging Tools for Windows 64-bit version There I found this:

The Debugging Tools are listed in two places on the Installation Options screen in the Windows SDK Setup Wizard:
•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.
•Select the Debugging Tools option under the Redistributable Packages to download all three versions of the Debugging Tools (x86, x64, Itanium).

I had already had a winsdk_web installer that failed twice, Because of this:

Error 1330. A file that is required cannot be installed because the cabinet file C:\Users\Amln0\AppData\Local\Temp\SDKSetup\WinSDK\WinSDK_amd64\cab1.cab has an invalid digital signature. This may indicate that the cabinet file is corrupt. Error 24592 was returned by WinVerifyTrust.
MSI (s) (94:58) [09:21:40:816]: Product: Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 (7.1) -- Error 1330. A file that is required cannot be installed because the cabinet file C:\Users\Amln0\AppData\Local\Temp\SDKSetup\WinSDK\WinSDK_amd64\cab1.cab has an invalid digital signature. This may indicate that the cabinet file is corrupt. Error 24592 was returned by WinVerifyTrust.

and then looking for help here:Windows 7 SDK: Fatal error during installation. And then going here: Windows 7 SDK Setup: common installation issues and fixes - Microsoft Windows SDK Blog - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

I decided to clear any earlier attempts to install winsdk_web (temp files),I even re-downloaded a new winsdk_web file, but after two tries my machine still would not accept the download because of this.

So on the Windows 7 SDK Setup: common installation issues and fixes - Microsoft Windows SDK Blog - Site Home - MSDN Blogs Page there was another albeit different web installer.

I used that and I finally have the debugging tools installed, (I think) I'm going to need someone to check them for me. (See attached File, the first one.).

The first one is the successful winsdk_web download log
The second was when I was having trouble with a corrupt? file Error1330 .
Both files are a right click (Context menu) send to compressed (zipped) files.
They did have locks on them when I zipped them Let me know.

The two pixs are the files that have been installed.

If I have to,, I can download the ISOsdk file but there are three of them, and I'm not sure which one to do.
I hope this makes sense....

I am also in the middle of helping my neighbors blow/move snow that's falling.

I 'll get back, but it'll be a couple of hours........

 

[Anak]

Well I must be doing something right.

When I clicked on WinDbg the result was the first pix.

I checked my Start Menu, and the windows Debugging Tools Program was there. bottom pix.

Now as I understand it I have to Register WinDbg as the default handler for dump files, and Set the symbol path.

A question I do have is Global Flags, and what are the best settings or do they need changed according to what type of Dmp file I try to read?

More reading!!

 

[DeanP]

Steve,

You fill in the symbol file path in WinDbg. Exit WinDbg and it will save your workspace, save the workspace and open WinDBG again. This time hold CTRL C and find a crash dump file. It will start analyzing and it will notify you when it's done (shouldn't take long).

type lmtsmn to show list of drivers from A to Z including their date.

Sent from my iPhone

 

[Anak]

Steve,

You fill in the symbol file path in WinDbg. Exit WinDbg and it will save your workspace, save the workspace and open WinDBG again. This time hold CTRL C and find a crash dump file. It will start analyzing and it will notify you when it's done (shouldn't take long).

type lmtsmn to show list of drivers from A to Z including their date.

Sent from my iPhone

Thanks Dean I'll try that when I get to it, right now I have a message out to zigzag.

I'm trying to register windbg, but all the cmd's I've tried to use come back invalid or unable....

 

[Anak]

I was finally able to make windbg the default program for the various .DMP files, see first pix by using the elevated CMD prompt, and typing in the commands shown in the second pix.

The only thing that isn't shown is you need to type in cd\ Then touch enter to return to the root drive where DBG Tools is kept, in this case C:\ .

For anyone that doesn't know, there is an easy way to setup the directory to copy/paste into the CMD prompt.

Open Windows Explorer Drill down to where the "Debugging Tools for Windows (x64)" folder is.

You will notice at the top Explorer has an "Address Bar", and it will show your present location in the Folder/File structure.

Make a single left click within the bar, and it will shorten into a more compact, and highlighted location that you can then right click/copy/paste into the CMD prompt.

The only thing you need to do is move the blinking cursor back to clear the C:\, and add cd\ Touch Enter, then add windbg.exe -lA Then touch enter again.
You should then see the "successfully registered" box appear.

I also have SRV*C:\Symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols as the symbol path.

For Dean:
I tried the CTRL C, and nothing happened, then I went to File\Open Crash Dump, and couldn't find anything there either.
Does that mean I don't have any for my machine?

Maybe I'll look in %temp%minidump. No, nothing there or in minidumps.
Can any one tell me how to get back to where one sets the size of the dump files? I have been there, but now I forget how to get back.

I would like to practice a little before I am let loose upon the unsuspecting masses.

 

[CarlTR6]

Great progress and good information for others setting up windbg.

To set your computer up for mini dumps: Control Panel > System > Advanced System Settings > Click on the Advanced tab > click on the Startup and recover Settings button > Select Small memory dump.

How I practice, I still practice, is to find threads where people whom I know are good with BSOD's and whom I trust, have posted. Without reading their analyzes, I down load the dump(s), analyze it (them) myself and then read what the pros came up with.

 

[Anak]

Thank you for the kind words Carl, and the road map back to the minidumps.

How I practice, I still practice, is to find threads where people whom I know are good with BSOD's and whom I trust, have posted. Without reading their analyzes, I down load the dump(s), analyze it (them) myself and then read what the pros came up with.

Good advice.

I will feel better now that I am not just trying to make an educated guess, and I have a tool that can point to a possible cause.
I say it that way because I still realize that there are so many different combinations, and permutations as to how computers can be set up.

I'll have the Admin marked this thread as solved, but open for help, and or discussion.
Thanks again to all who helped me....Punkster, Maguscreed, DeanP, reventon, fimble, CarlTR6.....

Steve......Practice.....practice....practice

 

[CarlTR6]

Yes, it is a matter of experience. You will begin to recognize certain bugcheck codes and what the dumps blame and this will give you a clue as to what the real problem might be. And you are very welcome.