Windows Driver Debugging
Category: Windows
Sub-Category: Drivers
Current Topic: Debugging
Last Updated: 2023-10-27
This section of the MSDN Community provides resources and discussions on debugging Windows drivers. Developing robust and stable drivers is crucial for system performance and reliability. Effective debugging techniques are essential for identifying and resolving issues that arise during driver development.
Key Concepts in Driver Debugging
- Kernel-Mode Debugging: Understanding how to debug code running in kernel mode, which is fundamental for driver development.
- User-Mode Debugging: While drivers run in kernel mode, user-mode components often interact with them, making user-mode debugging relevant.
- Debugging Tools: Familiarity with essential tools like WinDbg, KD, and Debugging Tools for Windows.
- Breakpoints: Setting and managing breakpoints effectively in kernel and user mode.
- Memory Inspection: Analyzing memory dumps and driver memory structures.
- Call Stacks: Tracing execution flow and identifying the origin of errors.
- Driver Verifier: Utilizing Driver Verifier to detect common driver errors and security vulnerabilities.
- Event Tracing for Windows (ETW): Leveraging ETW for performance analysis and issue diagnosis.
Common Debugging Scenarios
- BSOD Analysis: Diagnosing Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors related to drivers.
- Driver Crashes: Investigating unexpected driver terminations.
- Performance Bottlenecks: Identifying and resolving performance issues within drivers.
- Resource Leaks: Detecting and fixing memory or handle leaks.
- Concurrency Issues: Debugging race conditions and synchronization problems.
Essential Tools
WinDbg
WinDbg is the primary debugger for Windows drivers. It offers powerful capabilities for both kernel-mode and user-mode debugging, including remote debugging.
Example: Attaching WinDbg to a Target Machine
To start a kernel debugging session, you typically configure your target machine to communicate with your host machine via a serial port, USB, or network.
// On the TARGET machine (configured for kernel debugging):
// bootrec /rebuildbcd /bcddevice:boot
// bcdedit /debug on
// bcdedit /set {current} debugsettings serial.port:COM1 baudrate:115200
// On the HOST machine (running WinDbg):
// File -> Kernel Debug...
// Select "COM" tab
// Port: COM1
// Baud Rate: 115200
// Click OK
Driver Verifier
Driver Verifier is a built-in Windows tool that helps identify faulty drivers. It stresses drivers by performing