WinDBG is a powerful debugging toolset from Microsoft that can be leveraged by developers to diagnose and troubleshoot their applications. The toolset can help developers unearth the root cause of bugs, crashes, and other issues that impact application performance.

In this article, we’ll get started with WinDBG on Windows 10 by outlining the installation and configuration process.

Step 1: Download WinDBG

To begin, we need to download WinDBG. Microsoft offers two versions: WinDBG Preview and WinDBG (Legacy). The preview version provides the latest features and bug fixes, while the legacy version is the traditional version with limited support. For the purpose of this article, we’ll be using the Preview version.

To download and install the Preview version of WinDBG:

1. Visit the official WinDBG Preview site: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/debugger/debugger-download-tools.

2. Select the download button for the latest version of the WinDBG Preview software.

3. Once the download is complete, extract the contents of the compressed folder into a directory on your computer, such as C:\WinDBG.

Step 2: Install Debugging Symbols

Debugging symbols are crucial to the debugging process, as they help WinDBG to identify which function calls and variables are present in the code. To install the symbols for Windows 10:

1. Open WinDBG Preview.

2. Click on the File menu and select Symbol File Path.

3. In the Symbol File Path Dialog, enter the following:

srv*C:\SymCache*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols

This command configures WinDBG to download symbols from Microsoft’s symbol server.

4. Click the OK button to save your changes.

5. Now click the File menu, then click Open Dump File.

6. Select the dump file you want to analyze and click on the Open button.

7. WinDBG will now begin downloading symbols. This may take several minutes to complete depending on the size of the dump file.

Step 3: Get Started with Debugging

Once your symbols are installed, you can get started with debugging your applications.

1. Open WinDBG Preview.

2. Click on the File menu and select Open Executable.

3. Locate the executable file for your application.

4. Click on the Open button.

5. Choose the Launch application option and click the OK button.

6. Wait for your application to launch.

7. In WinDBG Preview, select the Debug menu and choose Break.

8. Now click on the File menu and select Save Workspace As.

9. Save the workspace as your project name, then click on the Save button.

10. You are now ready to start debugging!

Conclusion

WinDBG is a powerful toolset for debugging applications on Windows. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can download and install WinDBG Preview, install debugging symbols, and begin debugging your applications with ease. With continued practice and experimentation, you can become a proficient user of WinDBG and keep your applications running smoothly.