how can i set windbg to automatically download all the symbols?

Question

am new to programming and debugging in general.

i spent a lot of time offline (without internet), and am reading Inside Windows Debugging book, but from time to time, i found myself in need to a pdb file.

i did some digging and i found this URL: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/gg463028.aspx, but too many versions, i spend some time trying to figure out how to find the right version.

i did find the right build, and i did downloaded it, but no luck (took me more than 6 hour to download 200 Mb), but i found myself on the beginning of the circle (pdb are not the right one, even if the build is a match), and i need active internet to continue reading my book, which i can not get during to the country policies.

my question is simple, how can i make windbg download all the symbols for all the binaries all at once.

os info: Version: windows 7 ultimate (x86) Build: 7601.win7sp1_gdr.130104-1431

thank, for being patient and read my bad English :)

Corner

Answer 1

I think you're looking for the article Building a Debugging Environment

Basically it downloads symbols for all files you have currently installed. I did that two months ago for a Windows 7 installation and it worked fine - but it took 8.3 GB of disk space and of course a long time to download.

The concept is to go through all DLLs and EXEs in the Windows directory, add the file to a local symbol store and then check for symbols online.

SET PATH=%PATH%;"C:\Program Files\Debugging Tools for Windows"
REM Copy all .DLL files
SYMSTORE add /r /f C:\Windows\*.dll /s C:\SymbolStore\OSSymbols /t "Microsoft Windows" /v ""
REM Download symbols for .DLL files
SYMCHK /r C:\Windows\*.dll /s SRV*C:\SymbolStore\OSSymbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols
REM Copy all .EXE files
SYMSTORE add /r /f C:\Windows\*.exe /s C:\SymbolStore\OSSymbols /t "Microsoft Windows" /v ""
REM Download symbols for .EXE files
SYMCHK /r C:\Windows\*.exe /s SRV*C:\SymbolStore\OSSymbols*http://msdn.microsoft.com/download/symbols

When the script is interrupted, you can just run it again. The DLLs and EXEs are stored using a hash. The hash should not have changed if the file has not changed. Symstore is smart enough to pick up only the missing files according the documentation: "SymChk always searches the downstream store before querying the symbol server.

Dene

yes exactly Thomas, that is what am after for. am gonna test your script and let you updated with the result, tnx :) – Corner

Answer 2

When you are attached to the application you want to debug or have a .dmp-file open, type

.reload /f

That should force loading all symbols for the binaries.

Make sure you have configured your symbol servers properly before.

Coal

thanx tehlexx for reply but that's not what i need .., what i need is to download all pdbs, for all the binaries of the windows system, not for the application am currently debugging, theoretically i could write an app that load all dll within system32, then debug it, that should trick windbg to download symbols, but seriously, do i have to go that way? – Corner