sx, sxd, sxe, sxi, sxn, sxr, sx- (Set Exceptions)
The sx commands control the action that the debugger takes when an exception occurs in the application that is being debugged, or when certain events occur.
sx
sx{e|d|i|n} [-c "Cmd1"] [-c2 "Cmd2"] [-h] {Exception|Event|*}
sx- [-c "Cmd1"] [-c2 "Cmd2"] {Exception|Event|*}
sxr
Parameters
-c "Cmd1"
Specifies a command that's executed if the exception or event occurs. This command is executed when the first chance to handle this exception occurs, regardless of whether this exception breaks into the debugger. You must enclose the Cmd1 string in quotation marks. This string can include multiple commands if you separate them with semicolons. The space between the -c and the quoted command string is optional.
-c2"Cmd2"
Specifies a command that's executed if the exception or event occurs and isn't handled on the first chance. This command is executed when the second chance to handle this exception occurs, regardless of whether this exception breaks into the debugger. You must enclose the Cmd2 string in quotation marks. This string can include multiple commands if you separate them with semicolons. The space between the -c2 and the quoted command string is optional.
-h
Changes the specified event's handling status instead of its break status. If Event is cc, hc, bpec, or ssec, you don't have to use the -h option.
Exception
Specifies the exception number that the command acts on in the current radix.
Event
Specifies the event that the command acts on. These events are identified by short abbreviations. For a list of the events, see Controlling exceptions and events.
*
Affects all exceptions that aren't otherwise explicitly named for sx. For a list of explicitly named exceptions, see Controlling exceptions and events.
Environment
| Modes | User mode, kernel mode |
| Targets | Live debugging only |
| Platforms | All |
Additional Information
For more information about break status and handling status, descriptions of all event codes, a list of the default status for all events, and other methods of controlling this status, see Controlling exceptions and events.
Remarks
The sx command displays the list of exceptions for the current process and the list of all non-exception events and displays the default behavior of the debugger for each exception and event.
The sxe, sxd, sxn, and sxi commands control the debugger settings for each exception and event.
The sxr command resets all of the exception and event filter states to the default settings. For example, commands are cleared and break, and continue options are reset to their default settings.
The sx- command doesn't change the handling status or the break status of the specified exception or event. This command can be used if you wish to change the first-chance command or second-chance command associated with a specific event, but don't wish to change anything else.
If you include the -h option (or if the cc, hc, bpec, or ssec events are specified), the sxe, sxd, sxn, and sxi commands control the handling status of the exception or event. In all other cases, these commands control the break status of the exception or event.
When you're setting the break status, these commands have the following effects:
| Command | Status name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| sxe | Break (Enabled) |
When this exception occurs, the target immediately breaks into the debugger before any other error handlers are activated. This kind of handling is called first-chance handling. |
| sxd | Second chance break (Disabled) |
The debugger doesn't break for a first-chance exception of this type (although a message is displayed). If other error handlers don't address this exception, the execution stops and the target breaks into the debugger. This kind of handling is called second-chance handling. |
| sxn | Output (Notify) |
When this exception occurs, the target application doesn't break into the debugger at all. However, a message is displayed that notifies the user of this exception. |
| sxi | Ignore | When this exception occurs, the target application doesn't break into the debugger at all, and no message is displayed. |
When you're setting the handling status, these commands have the following effects:
| Command | Status name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| sxe | Handled | The event is considered handled when execution resumes. |
| sxd,sxn,sxi | Not Handled | The event is considered not handled when execution resumes. |
You can use the -h option together with exceptions, not events. Use this option with ch, bpe, or sse to set the handling status for hc, bpec, or ssec, respectively. If you use the -h option with any other event, it has no effect.
Use the -c or -c2 options with hc, bpec, or ssec to associate the specified commands with ch, bpe, or sse, respectively.
In the following example, the sxe command is used to set the break status of access violation events to break on the first chance, and to set the first-chance command that will be executed at that point to r eax. Then the sx- command is used to alter the first-chance command to r ebx, without changing the handling status. Finally, a portion of the sx output is shown, indicating the current settings for access violation events:
0:000> sxe -c "r eax" av
0:000> sx- -c "r ebx" av
0:000> sx
av - Access violation - break - not handled
Command: "r ebx"
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