WinDbg Download, Install and Configure tutorial (Windows Debug Tools)
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<strong>1. Install WinDbg</strong>
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– Navigate to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WinDbg" target="_blank">Debugging tools for Windows</a> on the Microsoft site and download the Windows Driver Kit (WDK) file from <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/devtools/debugging/default.mspx" target="_blank">here</a>. (<em>Please bear in mind that as at the time of this post, Microsoft in their infinite wisdom 🙂 have merged the standalone version of the tool as part of the Windows Drivers Kit</em>). Click <a href="http://archive.msdn.microsoft.com/debugtoolswindows" target="_blank">here</a> for direct link to download.
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– Run the downloaded MSI application package -> click Next (<em>Bear in mind that if you were debugging a 64-bit version of Windows you will require the 64-bit version of the debugging tools and install on a 64-bit version of Windows</em>)
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<a href="http://www.sysads.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_dbg_01.png"><img class="alignnone" title="img_dbg_01" src="http://www.sysads.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_dbg_01.png" alt="WinDbg Download" width="616" height="471" /></a>
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– On End-User License Agreement page -> Select I Agree -> click Next
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<a href="http://www.sysads.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_dbg_02.png"><img class="alignnone" title="img_dbg_02" src="http://www.sysads.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_dbg_02.png" alt="WinDbg Download" width="616" height="471" /></a>
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– On the Select an Installation Type -> For the purpose of this post, I’ll select the Complete package -> click Next
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<a href="http://www.sysads.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_dbg_03.png"><img class="alignnone" title="img_dbg_03" src="http://www.sysads.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_dbg_03.png" alt="WinDbg Download" width="616" height="471" /></a>
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– On Ready to Install page -> click Install
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<a href="http://www.sysads.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_dbg_04.png"><img class="alignnone" title="img_dbg_04" src="http://www.sysads.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_dbg_04.png" alt="WinDbg Download" width="616" height="471" /></a>
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– Click Finish when installation is completed
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<a href="http://www.sysads.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_dbg_05.png"><img class="alignnone" title="img_dbg_05" src="http://www.sysads.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_dbg_05.png" alt="WinDbg Download" width="616" height="471" /></a>
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<strong>2. Configure the Symbols</strong>
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– Load up the debugging tool by clicking on Start -> All Programs -> Debugging Tools for Windows -> Windbg
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<a href="http://www.sysads.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_dbg_06.png"><img class="alignnone" title="img_dbg_06" src="http://www.sysads.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_dbg_06.png" alt="WinDbg Download" width="249" height="134" /></a>
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– Click File -> Symbol File Path… -> enter the following text into the window “SRV*c:\WINDOWS\symbols*<a href="http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols" target="_blank">http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols</a>” without the quote (“”)<br /> (<em>Note: The path at the front can be changed i.e. c:\windows\symbols, this is just the store for the file that need to be downloaded</em>) -> click OK
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<a href="http://www.sysads.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_dbg_07.png"><img class="alignnone" title="img_dbg_07" src="http://www.sysads.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/img_dbg_07.png" alt="WinDbg Download" width="592" height="282" /></a>
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<strong>3. Analyzing Dump Files</strong>
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I am not going to analyze any dump files in this post but my aim here is to ease your search and provide you with links to very useful sites that have already documented steps needed when debugging a dump file. All dump files varies depending on the type of crash, this includes Memory Dump, IIS Application Pool Crash Dump,
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– <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/anandbms/archive/2005/04/20/410225.aspx" target="_blank">Basics of Analyzing a Crash dump</a>
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– <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/dmetzgar/archive/2011/02/01/checking-a-dump-file-for-wcf-throttles.aspx" target="_blank">Checking a dump file for WCF throttles</a>
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– <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ntdebugging/archive/2009/02/16/easily-resolving-an-event-viewer-error-using-a-process-memory-dump.aspx" target="_blank">Process Memory Dump</a>
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– <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/karthick_pk/archive/2010/06/22/how-to-analyze-quot-deadlocked-schedulers-quot-dumps.aspx" target="_blank">Analyze “Deadlocked Schedulers” Dump</a>
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– Troubleshoot OutOfMemoryExceptions
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<a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/johan/archive/2007/11/13/getting-started-with-windbg-part-i.aspx" target="_blank">Getting started with windbg – part I</a><br /> <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/johan/archive/2007/11/26/getting-started-with-windbg-part-ii.aspx" target="_blank">Getting started with windbg – part II</a>
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– Debugging tutorials in codeproject
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<a href="http://www.codeproject.com/debug/cdbntsd.asp">Debug Tutorial Part 1: Beginning Debugging Using CDB and NTSD</a><br /> <a href="http://www.codeproject.com/debug/cdbntsd2.asp">Debug Tutorial Part 2: The Stack</a><br /> <a href="http://www.codeproject.com/debug/cdbntsd3.asp">Debug Tutorial Part 3: The Heap</a><br /> <a href="http://www.codeproject.com/debug/cdbntsd4.asp">Debug Tutorial Part 4: Writing WINDBG Extensions</a><br /> <a href="http://www.codeproject.com/debug/cdbntsd5.asp">Debug Tutorial Part 5: Handle Leaks</a><br /> <a href="http://www.codeproject.com/debug/cdbntsd6.asp">Debug Tutorial Part 6: Navigating The Kernel Debugger</a><br /> <a href="http://www.codeproject.com/debug/cdbntsd7.asp">Debug Tutorial Part 7: Locks and Synchronization Objects</a>
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4. Useful WinDbg commands
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– <a href="http://windbg.info/doc/1-common-cmds.html" target="_blank">windbg.info</a>
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– <a href="http://www.dumpanalysis.org/blog/index.php/2007/06/20/crash-dump-analysis-checklist/" target="_blank">Crash Dump Analysis Checklist</a>
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You can also check this video here that shows how to download windbg and install it
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