Knowledge Base

Setting up for remote debugging

Article ID: 121543

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1

This article was previously published under Q121543

SUMMARY

This article outlines how to set up for remote debugging.

MORE INFORMATION

To set up to remotely debug another computer, do the following:

Remove the System, Hidden, & ReadOnly attributes of the BOOT.INI file and append the following strings to the boot line:

/BAUDRATE=9600 /DEBUGPORT=COM#

For example:

[operating systems]
multi(0)...partition(1)\NT="WinNT/S Ver:3.5" /DEBUGPORT=COM1
/BAUDRATE=9600

Run Terminal against the above Com Port with the debug modem attached and enter the modem commands which set the following:

     Function                              USRobotics
     -------------------------------------------------
     Set back to Factory Defaults:         AT&F
     Disable Transmit Data Flow Control:   AT&H0
     Disable Receive Data Flow Control:    AT&I0
     Disable Data Compression:             AT&K0
     Disable Error Control:                AT&M0
     Auto Answer On:                       ATS0=1
     Disable Reset Modem on loss of DTR:   AT&D0
     Write to NVRAM:                       AT&W

Determine the base build of the remote computer (using WinMSD, WinVer),

511, 528, 807

and copy the corresponding debug files from the base build:

<Compact Disc>\Support\Debug\<platformType>\*.* files to a
<localDebug>\ directory and the corresponding Kernel & Hal *.DBG
files from
<Compact Disc>\Support\Debug\<platformType>\Symbols\EXE and
<Compact Disc>\Support\Debug\<platformType>\Symbols\DLL respectively.

For example:

XCOPY E:\Support\Debug\i386\*.* C:\WinNT\Debug
XCOPY E:\Support\Debug\i386\Symbols\EXE\NTKRNLMP.DBG ...
... C:\WinNT\Debug\Symbols\EXE /s /e
XCOPY E:\Support\Debug\i386\Symbols\EXE\NTOSKRNL.DBG ...
... C:\WinNT\Debug\Symbols\EXE /s /e
XCOPY E:\Support\Debug\i386\Symbols\DLL\HAL*.* ...
... C:\WinNT\Debug\Symbols\DLL /s /e

where drive E: is the CD-ROM drive.

NOTE: Using different (debugger 807 <-> target 528) kernel debuggers may prevent debuggers from "Sync"-ing.
Determine the Service Pack (SP) version (using WinMSD, WinVer),

SP1, SP2, SP2b

and copy the SP Symbols tree to the <localSymbols> directory. For more information on the SP Symbols tree, contact Microsoft Product Support Services (Enterprise Technical Support).

For example:

XCOPY <Source SP Symbols path> C:\WinNT\Debug\Symbols /s /e

Determine what Hotfixes, if any, have been installed,

Prb18756, Bug18756

and copy the Hotfix Symbols tree to <localSymbols\<dir>\. For more information on the Hotfix Symbols tree, contact Microsoft Product Support Services (Enterprise Technical Support).

For example:

XCOPY http://hotfix

Determine if you are using the Microsoft or third-party MP Kernel. If it is Microsoft's MP Kernel, then from <localSymbols>\EXE, copy NTKRNLMP.DBG to NTOSKRNL.DBG. If it is a third-party MP Kernel, obtain a copy of the symbols and copy it into your <localSymbols>\EXE\NTOSKRNL.DBG.
Determine if you are using the Microsoft Windows NT HAL or a third-party HAL. If it is a Microsoft Windows NT HAL, but not the standard ISA/EISA HAL, then from <localSymbols>\DLL, copy the appropriate HAL*.DBG to HAL.DBG. If it is a third-party HAL, obtain a copy of the symbols and copy it into your <localSymbols>\DLL\HAL.DBG.
Connect the modem to the remote debug target computer using the port from above and reboot the target computer.

Go to the <localDebug> directory and run the following REMDBG.BAT file:

      REM Modem String to Disable Flow Control and Compression
      ECHO "UsRobotics Modem string = AT&H0&I0&K0&M0"

      REM Environment Variables:

      REM Specify which com port to use. (Default = com1)
      set _NT_DEBUG_PORT=com1

      REM Specify symbol image path. (Default = x: * NO trailing
         backslash *)
      set _NT_SYMBOL_PATH=%2\Symbols

      REM Specify second symbol image path to be searched after the above.
      set _NT_ALT_SYMBOL_PATH=%3\Symbols

      REM Specify the baud rate used by debugging serial port.
         (Default = 19200)
      set _NT_DEBUG_BAUD_RATE=9600

      REM If specified, output will be APPENDed to this file.
      set _NT_DEBUG_LOG_FILE_APPEND=DEBUG.LOG

      REM If specified, output will be written to this file from offset 0.
      REM set _NT_DEBUG_LOG_FILE_OPEN=U:\WinNT\DEBUG\DEBUG.LOG

      REM set _NT_DEBUG_CACHE_SIZE=x

      remote /s "%1kd -m %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9" debug

      REM Usage: *kd [-?] [-v] [-m] [-r] [-n] [-b] [-x] [[-l
      SymbolFile] [KrnlName]
      REM     where:
      REM             -v      Verbose mode
      REM             -?      Display this help
      REM             -n      No Lazy symbol loading
      REM             -m      Use modem controls
      REM             -b      Break into kernel
      REM                    -c          Resync on Connect

      REM Control Keys:

      REM     . <Ctrl-C> Break into kernel
      REM       <Ctrl-B><Enter> Quit debugger
      REM     . <Ctrl-R><Enter> Resynchronize target and host
      REM     . <Ctrl-V><Enter> Toggle Verbose mode
      REM     . <Ctrl-D><Enter> Display debugger debugging information

   through the following command:

   [u:\winnt\debug] remdbg <kd> <localSymbols> <baseBuildpath> <addOptions>
                             ^        ^             ^              ^
   Kernel Debugger to use ---+        |             |              |
      Example: i386 | MIPS | Alpha    |             |              |
                                      |             |              |
   localSymbols without Symbols name -+             |              |
      Example: c:\winnt\debug                       |              |
                                                    |              |
   baseBuild (UNC) without Symbols name ------------+              |
      Example: <Symbols server>\528\i386                           |
                                                                   |
   Additional Debug Options ---------------------------------------+
      Example: -b (Break In on Connect) -c (Resync on Connect)

Contact Microsoft Product Support Services (Enterprise Technical Support) for more information on the <Symbols server>.

Example

remdbg i386 u:\winnt\debug <Symbols server>\528\i386 -b
"UsRobotics Modem string = AT&H0&I0&K0&M0"

**************************************
***********     REMOTE    ************
***********     SERVER    ************
**************************************

To Connect: Remote /C MARCM.PORT debug

Microsoft(R) Windows NT Kernel Debugger
Version 1.00
(C) 1991 Microsoft Corp.

Symbol search path is: u:\winnt\debug\Symbols;.;
KD: ntoskrnl.exe image based at 80100000
KD: Preloading kernel symbols from u:\winnt\debug\Symbols\exe\ntoskrnl.DBG.
KD: waiting to connect...
KD: No carrier detect - in terminal mode

>From here, paste in the above Modem String and wait for the modem to return OK. Then enter the ATDT<Phone number> of the remote target computer as below: AT&H0&I0&K0&M0
AT&H0&I0&K0&M0

OK
ATDT9,<Phone number>
ATDT9,<Phone number>

CONNECT 9600
KD: Carrier detect - returning to debugger
^R \\ Resync's the debuggers
KD: Kernel Debugger connection established. (Initial Breakpoint requested)
NT!_KeUpdateSystemTime+0x109:
8015e109 cc int 3
kd>

For information on how to enable remote debugging in Windows XP Service Pack 2, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/security/productinfo/xpsp2/default.aspx?pull=/library/en-us/dnwxp/html/xpsp2remotedebug.asp

Additional query words: 3.10 3.50 3.51

Keywords: kbinfo KB121543

Microsoft KB Archive/121543

Contents

Setting up for remote debugging

SUMMARY

MORE INFORMATION

Example