Debugging Windows

So I'm trying to learn how to debug Windows and analyze **** files, but I'm have trouble understanding symbol table files. Does anyone have a simple explanation?

Find more posts tagged with

Save $250 on 2025 certification boot camps from Infosec!

Book now with code EOY2025

Button

Comments

gbdavidx

seeing all those certs makes me think you should be able to figure out how! lol

gbdavidx

A quick google search brought me to this dmp file and blue screen error Windows 7

which then led me to this Blue screen of death (STOP error) information in **** files.

4_lom

gbdavidx wrote: »

A quick google search brought me to this dmp file and blue screen error Windows 7

which then led me to this Blue screen of death (STOP error) information in **** files.

I am not looking to analyze a BSOD with BlueScreenView. While BSV is great for analyzing **** files from a high level, what I am looking to do is use the Windows Debugging Toolkit to analyze memory/kernel **** at a more granular level. And yes, I'm sure I could search Google for a bit and find an answer to my question, but the whole point of this forum is to ask questions and share knowledge.

gbdavidx wrote: »

seeing all those certs makes me think you should be able to figure out how! lol

The certifications I have do not cover using WinDbg. While I do appreciate your post, I do not appreciate the impudent, sarcastic tones behind it.

gbdavidx

And did you see this page that was on the link that I posted, there really is no need to quote me...

Configuring the "Debugging Tools" - Windows 7 Help Forums

4_lom

gbdavidx wrote: »

And did you see this page that was on the link that I posted, there really is no need to quote me...

Configuring the "Debugging Tools" - Windows 7 Help Forums

And did you see my original question?

4_lom wrote: »

So I'm trying to learn how to debug Windows and analyze **** files, but I'm have trouble understanding symbol table files. Does anyone have a simple explanation?

gbdavidx

the user in the windows7 forum does a pretty good job doing a simple explanation

LeifAlire

Install the debugging tools for Windows.

4_lom

Could you show me the part where he explains what symbols ARE? I see that he explains how to configure them, but I'm not seeing where he gives an explanation of what they are, which was my question.

4_lom

@gbdavidx, that link does have a lot of good info though, so thank you.

RobertKaucher

4_lom wrote: »

Could you show me the part where he explains what symbols ARE?

Developer to the rescue!

Symbol files are metadata like the list of functions, variables, frame pointer information, source code line number, etc that a debugger needs to provide you with reliable information from the compiled code when it is executing.

4_lom

RobertKaucher wrote: »

Developer to the rescue!

Symbol files are metadata like the list of functions, variables, frame pointer information, source code line number, etc that a debugger needs to provide you with reliable information from the compiled code when it is executing.

Just what I was looking for. Thanks Robert!

lsud00d

AKA human readable