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Q304989: PRB: Debugger Cannot Read System Symbols on Windows XP

Article: Q304989
Product(s): Microsoft C Compiler
Version(s): 6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbDebug kbide kbDSupport kbGrpDSVCCompiler
Last Modified: 11-JUN-2002

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions, version 6.0, used with:
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows XP 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

When you use the Visual C++ 6.0 debugger on a Windows XP-based computer, the
debugger is not able to load symbols for Windows system .dll files even though
you have Windows XP system symbols correctly installed. As a result, you will
not be able to see the function names of Windows APIs in the callstack.

CAUSE
=====

Windows XP system symbols are distributed only as .pdb files, whereas system
symbols for Windows NT and Windows 2000 are distributed as both .dbg and .pdb
files. When the Visual C++ 6.0 debugger was written, this change was not
anticipated. Therefore, the debugger does not search for .pdb files in the
<Windows directory>\Symbols\dll folder, it looks only for the .dbg files.

RESOLUTION
==========

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems
that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot
guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor
incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

There are two ways to work around this problem:

- Move each .pdb file to the directory where the corresponding system .dll file
  is located. Typically, Windows system .dll files are in the <Windows
  directory>\System32 folder.

- The other method involves adding a registry key by using Regedit.exe:

  1. Create a new string value, "Pdb Dirs" (without the quotation marks), if
     you do not see it under the following registry key:

  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\DevStudio\6.0\Build
  System\Components\Platforms\Win32 (x86)\Directories

  2. Double click Pdb Dirs. The Edit String dialog box will appear.

  3. In the Value data edit box, add the path (or paths) to the folders where
     the .pdb files are located. For example:

  "C:\Windows\Symbols\dll" (without the quotation marks)

     Multiple paths are separated by the semicolon (";") character. For example:

  "C:\Windows\Symbols\dll;C:\Windows\Symbols\ocx" (without the quotation marks)

  4. Click OK to close the Edit String dialog box.

STATUS
======

This behavior is by design.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbDebug kbide kbDSupport kbGrpDSVCCompiler 
Technology        : kbVCsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVC32bitSearch
Version           : :6.0
Issue type        : kbprb

=============================================================================

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