Debugging crash dump: binary and symbol files from same build event do not match according to VS2010

Question

I have received a crash dump file from a customer, and I am attempting to debug the dump file using VS2010. I have retrieved the source code we used for the build along with the generated symbol files, and I've provided VS with the path to the directory that contains them; everything seems to be in place. When I attempt to debug, however, VS reports that there is "no matching binary" for the .exe or any of the .dll's contained in that directory. I've used chkmatch to compare a few of the binaries and symbol files, and it reports that they match, time stamp and signature and all. I've searched around online and no one seems to have had as much trouble with this as I am encountering, and all the solutions I've found are things that I've already done.

Hopefully I'm overlooking something simple.

What am I missing? How can I ensure that VS matches the binaries to the symbol files?

Answer 1

You can use WinDbg

1. Download the tool (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/gg463016, you can use version 6.11.1.404 in order to avoid downloading the whole SDK) and install it.

2. start WinDbg and load the dump file (File > Open crash Dump).

3. specify the location of the symbols (File > Symbol File Path).
4. activate traces on symbols loading (!sym noisy at the command prompt)
5. unload all symbols (.reload /u at the command prompt).
6. load symbols for a module you have problem with (ld at the command prompt).
7. the engine will tell you where it loads symbols and why it doesn't match.
8. you can also have detailed informations on the module contained in the dump file (lm vm ), cinluding the timestamp of the module.

Hope this helps.