Host a Remote Debugging Session

Applies To: Windows 8, Windows 8.1

With the appropriate permissions, you can host a remote debugging session using the Windows® Remote Debugging client, and invite other people to take part in the session with you. These invited users are also known as "clients" during the debugging process.

Only the host can review and run debug commands.

Before you begin

In order to host a remote debugging session using the Windows Remote Debugging client, you need:

Hosting permissions.
The Kernel Debugger (KD) installed on your local computer.

For more information about how to download the Windows Remote Debugger, get host session permissions and the KD, see Prepare for Remote Debugging.

To host a remote debugging session

Sign in to the Windows Remote Debugging client with the Microsoft account that you use to sign in to the dashboard.
Open the Host Sessions tab.
On the Actions menu, click Host Session.

In the Host Session dialog box, complete the following:

Text box Enter

Debugger location

Point to the location of the kd.exe file on your machine.

Arguments

Enter an argument command to start a KD process, such as one of the following:

To connect to a KD server started on a TCP port:

–remote tcp:server=<ServerMachineName>,port=<ServerPortNumber>
To connect to a KD server started with a pipe:

–remote npipe:server=<ServerMachineName>,pipe=<PipeName>

Note
Although you can run the KD tool directly from the Windows Remote Debugging client, we strongly recommend that you start a KD process from the Windows Remote Debugging client to access an open KD session on a remote computer.

Session name

Create a name for your session that can be easily identified by your clients.

Session description

If you want, you can enter a description of the session and any notes that can help you with debugging.

To open a new Command window where you can enter and run debug commands, click OK.

The results are available to any client who connects to this session.

Invite a client to a remote debugging session

As host, you can invite up to ten clients to a single session.

Before you can invite a client to a session:

You must be the host of the session.
The client must have permission to join sessions.
You must know the dashboard email address for the client.

To invite a client to a session

In the Windows Remote Debugging client, on the Host Sessions tab, select a session.
On the Actions menu, click Invite Client.
In the Invite Client dialog box, in the Winqual Email Address text box, enter the dashboard email address for the client you want to invite, and then click Find.
If the client is eligible to join the session, the client's details are added to the dialog box. If the client is not eligible, direct the client to Prepare for Remote Debugging.

Continue to add more clients if you want.
Select up to ten clients that you want to invite, and then click OK.

An email message with details about the session is sent to each client and to the host.

As a host, you can also invite yourself to a session. This allows you to join the session from a remote location and view the debugging history.

Close or terminate a session

As a host, you can either close a session temporarily, or terminate it permanently.

You can't reactivate a session after it has been terminated. A session can be closed temporarily, and then re-opened by either a client or a host.

You may want to close a session temporarily because you want to move to a different computer, or you want to return to the debugging session at a later time. The session will continue to be active.

When you no longer need a session, you can terminate it permanently.

To close a session

Close the Command window.

To terminate a session

When you are using a KD process from the Windows Remote Debugging client to access an open KD session on a remote computer, in the Windows Remote Debugging client, on the Host Sessions tab, select a session.
On the Actions menu, click Terminate Session.

This terminates the session in the Windows Remote Debugging client, but the KD session on the remote machine remains active. This allows you to reconnect to the session if necessary.

You or a client can also terminate a session through KD either by using Windows Task Manager or by entering one of the following commands in the Command window:

qq
qqd
.detach
^B
.remote_exit

Sessions that are no longer active are marked as terminated and displayed on the Host Session tab. Clients can see only those sessions to which they were invited for up to seven days after termination.

Caution
If you choose to connect directly from your Windows Remote Debugging client and local KD to the target computer, and you or a client use one of these methods to terminate a session, all the other clients will be disconnected and you cannot restore the session. To avoid this, we strongly recommend that you connect instead to an open KD session on another computer.