Windows Debugging Tools Not Installing

Question

I'm trying to install the Windows Debugging Tools via the Windows SDK and after two attempts I am at a loss for what to do. I start the installation and receive no errors at all but the debugging tools (windbg and kd) are nowhere to be found... The log is next to useless:

9:16:59 PM Monday, July 18, 2011: [SDKSetup:Info] Config_Products_DetermineProductState_End:   Product: Windows Debugging Tools 
9:16:59 PM Monday, July 18, 2011: [SDKSetup:Info] Config_Products_DetermineProductState_Begin: Product: Redistributable Components for Application Verifier and Windows Debugging Tools 
9:16:59 PM Monday, July 18, 2011: [SDKSetup:Info] Config_Products_DetermineProductState:       Product: Redistributable Components for Application Verifier and Windows Debugging Tools;  Installed: Unknown;

Does anyone have any suggestions as to where to start debugging why I am unable to install the debugging tools? Oh, the irony!

Coypu

Answer 1

You can find the installer packages at (Windows SDK x86 or x64 DVD root)\Setup\WinSDKDebuggingTools and WinSDKDebuggingTools_amd64. Please use them to install the Debugging Tools.

Note that due to Microsoft's favourite game of messing up download links and files, you will have to use a search engine to locate the latest download link for the ISO images. I would not track that always in this answer.

Tse

Thanks! I will download the ISO from the MS site today. – Coypu

Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 4 (ISO) is available at microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=8442 . File GRMSDK_EN_DVD.iso contains the relevant installer. – Domestic

Re @Abdull's link - be mindful to download the correct version: GRMSDK_EN_DVD.iso for x86, GRMSDKIAI_EN_DVD.iso for Itanium, GRMSDKX_EN_DVD.iso for 64-bit – Syrupy

Answer 2

If you're running Windows 7 AND Visual Studio 2010 SP1:

(The previous answer is out of date.)

Here's the problem according to microsoft: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2717426

In a nutshell, uninstall these two:

• Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x86 Redistributable
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x64 Redistributable

Now you should be able to install Windows Debugging Tools via the Windows 7.1 SDK.

Afterward, you may reinstall the Visual c++ 2010 redistributables if you want.

Privation

I had to first uninstall, per Ewat, then follow the steps from Casanove above. Ugh. – Guthrun

Simple as that, just uninstalled those two and it installed without issue. – Haemolysin

One would hope that the installer had enough logic built in to do this on it's own... – Cerebro

Answer 3

If you're running Windows 7 AND Visual Studio 2010 SP1:

Your installation of the SDK won't complete properly, due to missing compiler packages that were removed when VS 2010 SP1 was installed. MS has since patched this, so here is your new installation order:

1. Install the Windows 7.1 SDK.
2. Your installation will only be partially complete after the compiler error. Install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Service Pack 1 Compiler Update for the Windows SDK 7.1.
3. Re-run your Windows SDK web installer. Choose the first option to add features to the existing installation.
4. Re-choose (either under redistributables or common) the desired features, including the Debugger Tools.

Clifton

Answer 4

After spending hours finding out none of the above works, and only seconds away from smashing my stupid machine to bits, I stumbled upon the solution in SO.

It basically says that for 64-bit Window 7, installing the "Standalone Debugging Tools for Windows 8.1" found here should work.

Unbelievably, it actually did :)

BTW, the target folder changed to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.1"

Syrupy

Answer 5

I faced the same issue and debug message was "Debug Policy is set to 0". After reading the above comments what I did was came up with the minimal package needed for WinDBG install, just by trial and error. The following three packages did the trick.

Debugging Tools for Windows

Windows App Certification

MSI tools

I had a successful install and it worked fine too. I am using Windows 7 64 bit

Janssen