Windows Debug Symbols

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.pdb files for much of Windows are available publically.  They're necessary for debugging many problems you'll encounter in windows development.

The SymbolStore path is:

SRV*DownstreamStore*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols

Replace Downstream store with the local of your local cache.  Caching is automatic, and dramatically speeds up symbol loading / resolution, without too much disk overhead.  Over time it will grow to 100 MB or more, at any time you can delete it and it will be rebuilt.  My local cache is at c:\Debug_Symbols, so my Symbol Path looks like:

SRV*C:\Debug_Symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols

Enter this in your debugger's Symbol Path configuration (in WinDbg: File->Symbol File Path).

If you have symbols for the application under debug (You _do_ keep all .pdb files for all released binaries, don't you?), enter their path(s) in the same configuration, separated by semicolons (';').

Symbols' most pertinent uses to you as the developer / post-release firefighter are to:

• relate binary code addresses to lines of code, and
• resolve and view local variables.

That's all for now.  Later I may write more about capturing and debugging dump files, setting up your own symbol server or other topics.  Write to bob at juicydata dot com with any other suggestions or input.

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