Are there any WinDBG replacements with a better GUI?

Question

I'm using WinDBG occasionally to analyze problems in production environment, where VS cannot be installed. There's no doubt it's an extremely powerful tool, but using it is a bit annoying. Even though the product is frequently updated, its GUI goes back to the Win95 days or so, and its usability is accordingly. Having to fight the GUI to layout the windows the way I want, and having to remember all those textual commands, is just quite low a standard for a modern desktop application.

AFAIK, WinDBG is pretty much built on top of CDB, which is a command line debugger. Being so, it shouldn't be that hard to built a modern days GUI wrapper that will replace the existing dinosaur. Has anyone ever done that? Am I the only one having those mixed feelings toward WinDBG?

(BTW, I know I can create a dump and take it back to where I have VS, but I sometimes have to debug 64 bit processes, and I don't have a 64 bit dev machine. Sad, but true)

Medea

Answer 1

Have look at this if you fancy trying out a GUI to replace WinDbg.

EDIT:

Since SOS Assist is no longer available, this answer should be deleted. As this answer has been accepted, I personally cannot delete it. In that, please ignore my answer.

Bassesalpes

Not exactly what I was hoping to get, but I guess I won't get any better answers. The points are yours. – Medea

The link is gone, but it seems (miraculously) available here – Sulphate

@Sulphate Nice save. I wasn't aware that SOS Assist was dead. – Bassesalpes

Fir future reference: the main link is dead, while the backup link points to material dating back 2006, therefore a little bit old. – Urano

@Pier Thanks for the update. Yes it seems that SOS Assist is well and truly dead now. Better to use the newer WinDbg, as pointed out in Sachin's answer. – Bassesalpes

this url is not available – Heligoland

@Heligoland I'm unable to delete this answer, as it has been accepted. So I have added a comment telling users to ignore my answer. If you read the other comments, I suggest you take a look at the newest version of WinDBG, which is now available via the Windows App Store. – Bassesalpes

Answer 2

Consider the new Windbg. It's still no longer in Preview. It also supports Time Travel Debugging.

You can install it from the Microsoft Store, or use the links here.

Here is what's new with Windbg.

Ticino

Great, thanks for the update! Too bad this wasn't available 6 years ago, when I was still doing Windows-only development... – Medea

Does not work on Windows 7 without hacking... But for the brave, there is a way to overcome another stupid MS ploy to shove win10 down the throat. – Florence

This one is much better, easier to launch an exe with parameters, and add frequent commands like step/stop, I really hate to remember every command. – Ostwald

Answer 3

I guess thats too much to expect. With such a large number of commands that it has, it will not be trivial to have UI that displays everything in fancy controls. It might also make it bulkier, slower.

However it does provide you with controls that any user mode application debugger should have. It displays most frequently needed information like call stack, local variables, threads and so on in seperate windows.

But if you need more advanced debugging feature, you alwalys have the command interface.

Decrement

The thing is I don't need more advanced feature. What I do hope for is better call stack, local variables, threads and so on windows. It's just annoying having to drag all those windows time and time again, with the awkward docking mechanism they're using. VS has all that too, and it looks so much better... – Medea

For what its worth, you can save the window positions by saving the workspace. – Paleozoology

Answer 4

WinDBG is pretty much it, no one has ever bothered to write their own UI for it. Even with its quirks I'm a fan because it's mostly command line driven. So, to each their own :)

Note that the VS 2011 Dev Preview basically integrates WinDBG support, so in the future VS will be the new WinDBG UI.

-scott

Blakeslee

Don't ask how I ended up responding to a two year old question, my bad! – Blakeslee

the new VS being a WinDbg UI is definitively good news. I won't ask how you ended up responding to a two year old question, but I think I already know - my RSS reader has been constantly popping newly edited old messages all afternoon too... – Medea