WinDBG won't save symbol path

OSR_Community_User · June 2, 2006, 2:48pm

When I ws first setting up WinDBG a while back I used the following
symbol path:

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

A while later, I made a new symbol server. I changed my symbol path to:

srv*\symsrv\symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols;

WinDBG refuses to recognize this as my new symbol path. Every time I
make my debugger connection to a virtual machine, it loads my old symbol
path. Example:

Opened \.\pipe\houturnerz01kd <file:>
Waiting to reconnect…
Connected to Windows Server 2003 3790 x86 compatible target, ptr64 FALSE
Kernel Debugger connection established. (Initial Breakpoint requested)
Symbol search path is:
srvC:\Symbolshttp://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols;
Executable search path is:

Even though I see that message, however, I can go click File->Symbol
File Path and it shows my NEW symbol file path in that dialog, even
though it’s loading the old one! This is one of the most ridiculous and
frustrating things I’ve ever seen, much more so than solving the worst
reference counting bugs in the world! I’ve tried the following things:

- Forcing a reload of my symbols by clicking the checkbox in the
Symbols dialog while on a breakpoint during a live debug session. This
is successful, my new symbols are reloaded. Obviously I don’t want to
do this every time though, I want it to remember.
- Saving my workspace after forcing a reload of symbols by clicking
File -> Save Workspace, then Stop Debugging, then exit Win DBG, then
restart.
- Saving my workspace after forcing a reload of symbols, then detaching
the debugger, then saving my workspace again, then exit Win DBG, then
restart.

Any suggestions? I’m about to pull my hair out. Thanks

Zach</file:>

OSR_Community_User · June 2, 2006, 2:55pm

WinDbg is probably loading the sympath from your old saved workspace.
Delete and recreate the workspace. Or, delete the workspace and set
_NT_SYMBOL_PATH in your environment.

From: xxxxx@lists.osr.com
[mailto:xxxxx@lists.osr.com] On Behalf Of Zachary Turner
Sent: Friday, June 02, 2006 11:48 AM
To: Kernel Debugging Interest List
Subject: [windbg] WinDBG won’t save symbol path

When I ws first setting up WinDBG a while back I used the following
symbol path:

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

A while later, I made a new symbol server. I changed my symbol path to:

srv*\symsrv\symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols;

WinDBG refuses to recognize this as my new symbol path. Every time I
make my debugger connection to a virtual machine, it loads my old symbol
path. Example:

Opened \.\pipe\houturnerz01kd <file:>
Waiting to reconnect…
Connected to Windows Server 2003 3790 x86 compatible target, ptr64 FALSE
Kernel Debugger connection established. (Initial Breakpoint requested)
Symbol search path is:
srvC:\Symbolshttp://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols;
Executable search path is:

Even though I see that message, however, I can go click File->Symbol
File Path and it shows my NEW symbol file path in that dialog, even
though it’s loading the old one! This is one of the most ridiculous and
frustrating things I’ve ever seen, much more so than solving the worst
reference counting bugs in the world! I’ve tried the following things:

- Forcing a reload of my symbols by clicking the checkbox in the
Symbols dialog while on a breakpoint during a live debug session. This
is successful, my new symbols are reloaded. Obviously I don’t want to
do this every time though, I want it to remember.
- Saving my workspace after forcing a reload of symbols by clicking
File -> Save Workspace, then Stop Debugging, then exit Win DBG, then
restart.
- Saving my workspace after forcing a reload of symbols, then detaching
the debugger, then saving my workspace again, then exit Win DBG, then
restart.

Any suggestions? I’m about to pull my hair out. Thanks

Zach

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OSR_Community_User · June 2, 2006, 3:25pm

Do you care about your workspaces? If not go delete
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\windbg\workspaces. Then start windbg with no
parameters, set the symbol path you want and save the workspace. That
will set a default symbol path that will apply to all windbg work you do
(until you override it).

From: xxxxx@lists.osr.com on behalf of Zachary Turner
Sent: Fri 6/2/2006 11:47 AM
To: Kernel Debugging Interest List
Subject: [windbg] WinDBG won’t save symbol path

When I ws first setting up WinDBG a while back I used the following
symbol path:

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

A while later, I made a new symbol server. I changed my symbol path to:

srv*\symsrv\symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols;

WinDBG refuses to recognize this as my new symbol path. Every time I
make my debugger connection to a virtual machine, it loads my old symbol
path. Example:

Opened \.\pipe\houturnerz01kd <file:> Waiting to
reconnect…
Connected to Windows Server 2003 3790 x86 compatible target, ptr64 FALSE
Kernel Debugger connection established. (Initial Breakpoint requested)
Symbol search path is:
srvC:\Symbolshttp://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols;
Executable search path is:

Even though I see that message, however, I can go click File->Symbol
File Path and it shows my NEW symbol file path in that dialog, even
though it’s loading the old one! This is one of the most ridiculous and
frustrating things I’ve ever seen, much more so than solving the worst
reference counting bugs in the world! I’ve tried the following things:

- Forcing a reload of my symbols by clicking the checkbox in the
Symbols dialog while on a breakpoint during a live debug session. This
is successful, my new symbols are reloaded. Obviously I don’t want to
do this every time though, I want it to remember.
- Saving my workspace after forcing a reload of symbols by clicking
File -> Save Workspace, then Stop Debugging, then exit Win DBG, then
restart.
- Saving my workspace after forcing a reload of symbols, then detaching
the debugger, then saving my workspace again, then exit Win DBG, then
restart.

Any suggestions? I’m about to pull my hair out. Thanks

Zach

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Daniel_Terhell · June 8, 2006, 10:25am

I took a look at Windbg the other day and I also ran into this problem. You
can specify symbol path from the main menu, by entering a command, by
setting various environment variables or by passing command line parameters.
These paths are not merged but instead it seems that one option overrides
another, not sure which one has highest priority. Symbol paths must be
separated by semicolons and the last path must also be terminated by a
semicolon character. Not for human consumption.

/Daniel

“Zachary Turner” wrote in message
news:xxxxx@windbg…
WinDBG refuses to recognize this as my new symbol path. Every time I
make my debugger connection to a virtual machine, it loads my old symbol
path. Example:

… I’m about to pull my hair out. Thanks

OSR_Community_User · June 8, 2006, 1:06pm

Minor clarification: paths should not have a final semicolon, the
semicolon is only a separator, not a terminator.

-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxx@lists.osr.com
[mailto:xxxxx@lists.osr.com] On Behalf Of Daniel Terhell
Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 7:25 AM
To: Kernel Debugging Interest List
Subject: Re:[windbg] WinDBG won’t save symbol path

I took a look at Windbg the other day and I also ran into this problem.
You can specify symbol path from the main menu, by entering a command,
by setting various environment variables or by passing command line
parameters.
These paths are not merged but instead it seems that one option
overrides another, not sure which one has highest priority. Symbol paths
must be separated by semicolons and the last path must also be
terminated by a semicolon character. Not for human consumption.

/Daniel

“Zachary Turner” wrote in message
news:xxxxx@windbg…
WinDBG refuses to recognize this as my new symbol path. Every time I
make my debugger connection to a virtual machine, it loads my old symbol
path. Example:

… I’m about to pull my hair out. Thanks

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OSR_Community_User · June 8, 2006, 3:16pm

Check out WinDBGStart on www.osronline.com. Instead of using
workspaces, it makes it easy to specify things on the command line.
Personally I save all my settings in files and have windbgstart load
the file when starting my debug session.

–Mark Cariddi
OSR, Open Systems Resources, Inc.

On Thu, 8 Jun 2006 16:25:03 +0200, “Daniel Terhell”
wrote:

>I took a look at Windbg the other day and I also ran into this problem. You
>can specify symbol path from the main menu, by entering a command, by
>setting various environment variables or by passing command line parameters.
>These paths are not merged but instead it seems that one option overrides
>another, not sure which one has highest priority. Symbol paths must be
>separated by semicolons and the last path must also be terminated by a
>semicolon character. Not for human consumption.
>
>/Daniel
>
>
>
>“Zachary Turner” wrote in message
>news:xxxxx@windbg…
>WinDBG refuses to recognize this as my new symbol path. Every time I
>make my debugger connection to a virtual machine, it loads my old symbol
>path. Example:
>
>… I’m about to pull my hair out. Thanks
>
>
>