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Ending a Debugging Session in WinDbg (Classic)

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Exiting WinDbg

You can exit WinDbg by choosing Exit from the File menu or by pressing ALT+F4.

If you are performing user-mode debugging, these commands close the application that you are debugging, unless you used the -pd command-line option when you started the debugger.

If you are performing kernel-mode debugging, the target computer remains in its current state. This situation enables you to leave the target running or frozen. (If you leave the target frozen, any future connection from a kernel debugger can resume debugging where you left it.)

Ending a User-Mode Session Without Exiting

To end a user-mode debugging session, return the debugger to dormant mode, and close the target application, you can use the following methods:

  • Enter the .kill (Kill Process) command.

  • Enter the q (Quit) command (unless you started the debugger with the -pd option).

  • Choose Stop Debugging from the Debug menu.

  • Press SHIFT+F5.

  • Click the Stop Debugging button on the toolbar.

To end a user-mode debugging session, return the debugger to dormant mode, and set the target application running again, you can use the following methods:

  • Enter the .detach (Detach from Process) command. If you are debugging multiple targets, this command detaches from the current target and continues the debugging session with the remaining targets.

  • Choose Detach Debugee from the Debug menu. If you are debugging multiple targets, this command detaches from all current targets.

  • Enter the qd (Quit and Detach) command.

  • Enter the q (Quit) command, if you started the debugger with the -pd option.

To end a user-mode debugging session, return the debugger to dormant mode, but leave the target application in the debugging state, you can use the following method:

For information about reattaching to the target, see Reattaching to the Target Application.

Ending a Kernel-Mode Session Without Exiting

To end a kernel-mode debugging session, return the debugger to dormant mode, and leave the target computer frozen, you can use the following methods:

  • Enter the q (Quit) command (unless you started the debugger with the -pd option)

  • Choose Stop Debugging from the Debug menu.

  • Press SHIFT+F5.

  • Click the Stop debugging (Shift+F5) button on the toolbar.

When a WinDbg session ends, you are prompted to save the workspace for the current session, and then WinDbg returns to dormant mode. At this point, you can use all starting options. That is, you can start to debug a running process, spawn a new process, attach to a target computer, open a crash dump, or connect to a remote debugging session.