reducing windbg symbol load timeout value

WINDBG
1

Hi,

I am currently using Microsoft’s Symbol Server to gather symbol
information for loaded modules. I notice that sometimes, when it
tries to look up the symbol for a module that is
non-Microsoft-related, it still looks up the symbol in the symbol
server and then times out. The error message I get is:

“SYMSRV: http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols/vmxnet.pdb/6FC7F2BCA9AA475DB24CCDDD0239A14E1/vmxnet.pdb
not found
SYMSRV: The operation timed out”.

It seems like it is waiting at least 20 seconds for a timeout which
makes it unbearable sometimes to try to load all symbols.

So, I was wondering if there is a way to tell Windbg to timeout after
a much smaller time (such as 2 seconds?) so that I am not waiting so
long. Note that I’ve tried setting the microsoft symbol server last
in the Symbol paths so that it doesn’t check the server unless it does
not exist anywhere else; however, there are still quite a few symbols
that are not owned by me and microsoft that still results in a lookup
in the microsoft symbol server.

Thanks!

J

2

make a file named symsrv.ini in windbg folder

insert a section called exclusions in that file

and include all the module names for which you do not want windbg to
look up symbols for

like av drivers and other stuff

windbg will skip looking for the symbols of those modules

F:\windbg>type symsrv.ini

;start of symsrv.ini
[exclusions]
Normaliz.*
xpsp2res.*
mshtml.*
pdm.*
iphlpapi.*
aswMon2.*
aswFsBlk.*
aswSP.*
ipnat.*
vmm.*

windbg will throw this msg and move forward without hitting the symbol server

.*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for \SystemRoo
t\System32\Drivers\aswFsBlk.SYS
…*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for \SystemRo
ot\System32\Drivers\aswMon2.SYS
…

On 4/5/12, JonathonS wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am currently using Microsoft’s Symbol Server to gather symbol
> information for loaded modules. I notice that sometimes, when it
> tries to look up the symbol for a module that is
> non-Microsoft-related, it still looks up the symbol in the symbol
> server and then times out. The error message I get is:
>
> “SYMSRV:
> http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols/vmxnet.pdb/6FC7F2BCA9AA475DB24CCDDD0239A14E1/vmxnet.pdb
> not found
> SYMSRV: The operation timed out”.
>
> It seems like it is waiting at least 20 seconds for a timeout which
> makes it unbearable sometimes to try to load all symbols.
>
> So, I was wondering if there is a way to tell Windbg to timeout after
> a much smaller time (such as 2 seconds?) so that I am not waiting so
> long. Note that I’ve tried setting the microsoft symbol server last
> in the Symbol paths so that it doesn’t check the server unless it does
> not exist anywhere else; however, there are still quite a few symbols
> that are not owned by me and microsoft that still results in a lookup
> in the microsoft symbol server.
>
> Thanks!
>
> J
>
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3

I use a much more brutal approach (Like driving a screw in with a hammer).
I run with sympath set to cache* (and nothing else). If I meet a new dump
or a new machine configuration I do a:

!symfix
.reload /a /f
!sympath cache*

So everything that is available for this dump is in my cache and I never
even go near the sym sever except to charge the cache…

4

Every time I get hit with a long symbol load I swear to myself I’m going to
start doing this. Then it doesn’t happen to me for a while, so I forget.
Repeat.

-scott

–
Scott Noone
Consulting Associate and Chief System Problem Analyst
OSR Open Systems Resources, Inc.
http://www.osronline.com

“Rod Widdowson” wrote in message news:xxxxx@windbg…

I use a much more brutal approach (Like driving a screw in with a hammer).
I run with sympath set to cache* (and nothing else). If I meet a new dump
or a new machine configuration I do a:

!symfix
.reload /a /f
!sympath cache*

So everything that is available for this dump is in my cache and I never
even go near the sym sever except to charge the cache…