VS.Net Debugging stopped working

[Mikael Östberg]

Hello all!

I have been working on a project for some time now and yesterday, my
debugger stopped working.
It is a class library which I run from a Win32 test app, so no IIS involved
at this point.

I can still set breakpoints and when debugging the breakpoints get hit -
just like it would work normally.

However, when I want to check values of objects and such using autos or
watch, all values are null. I can step through the code, but it seems like
the debugger does not care about the code. It steps into catch blocks even
though an exception would be impossible. It would even step into this
statement:

string test = null;
if(test != null) {
// it would step into here
}

Here is an image that proves this wierd condition:
http://www.inloop.se/temp/debugger.jpg
This example is a standard Win32 app with only one form and one button.

I have run the repair feature in Visual Studio. I have also re-installed the
..Net framwork 1.1 SP1 for Win2003 but that didn't help.

Has anyone seen this before? What could possibly had happened and more
importantly, how can I solve this?

Thanks!

Mikael Östberg

 

[John Bailo]

I've seen somewhat odd behavior when the debug symbols gets out of sync
with the code...like if somehow you changed the output directories and
so the debugger is reading an old set of debug symbols against newly
compiled code.

That's the only thing I can think of.

Also, I assume you rebooted a few times....

 

[John Bailo]

Ps -- if you compile the code, and run it outside of VS.NET -- does it
work right (assuming you put some Console.WriteLine() in to tell you.

 

[Mikael Östberg]

Thanks for your answer!

Anyway, this example application is a 'new project' -> 'C# Windows
Application'.

All I did was adding a button and this example code. The output directories
would be in order.

I have tried to delete the pdb files, so that it would create new ones.

I have restarted a couple of times, yes. Another thing is that I have run
this example code on a colleague's machine and debugging works fine so it's
definitely a machine issue (Visual Studio, .Net framework, rights, I don't
know). My colleague and I are on the same domain and have the same user
level, so it's not a domain policy issue.

Thanks!

Mikael Östberg

The debugger output is this, if that would help:
'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\Documents and Settings\mikaelo\My
Documents\Visual Studio
Projects\WindowsApplication2\bin\Debug\WindowsApplication2.exe', No native
symbols in symbol file.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\ntdll.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\mscoree.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\kernel32.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\advapi32.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\rpcrt4.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\shlwapi.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\gdi32.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\user32.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\msvcrt.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\imm32.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\lpk.dll', No symbols
loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\usp10.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\mscorwks.dll', No symbols
loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\msvcr71.dll', Symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\fusion.dll', No symbols
loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\ole32.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS\x86_Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls_6595b64144ccf1df_6.
0.100.0_x-ww_8417450B\comctl32.dll', No symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\mscordbc.dll', No symbols
loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\clbcatq.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\oleaut32.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\comres.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\version.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\Program
Files\devTools\NCover\CoverLib.dll', No symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\Program
Files\devTools\NCover\MSVCP71.dll', No symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\diasymreader.dll', No symbols
loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\mscorlib.dll', No symbols
loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\assembly\NativeImages1_v1.1.4322\mscorlib\1.0.5000.0__b77a5c5619
34e089_c0ad7aaa\mscorlib.dll', No symbols loaded.

'DefaultDomain': Loaded
'c:\windows\microsoft.net\framework\v1.1.4322\mscorlib.dll', No symbols
loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\mscorsn.dll', No symbols
loaded.

'WindowsApplication2': Loaded 'C:\Documents and Settings\mikaelo\My
Documents\Visual Studio
Projects\WindowsApplication2\bin\Debug\WindowsApplication2.exe', Symbols
loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\assembly\GAC\System.Windows.Forms\1.0.5000.0__b77a5c561934e089\S
ystem.Windows.Forms.dll', No symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\assembly\NativeImages1_v1.1.4322\System.Windows.Forms\1.0.5000.0
__b77a5c561934e089_2a8a060e\System.Windows.Forms.dll', No symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'c:\windows\assembly\gac\system.windows.forms\1.0.5000.0__b77a5c561934e089\s
ystem.windows.forms.dll', No symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\assembly\GAC\System\1.0.5000.0__b77a5c561934e089\System.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\assembly\NativeImages1_v1.1.4322\System\1.0.5000.0__b77a5c561934
e089_a290f5d3\System.dll', No symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'c:\windows\assembly\gac\system\1.0.5000.0__b77a5c561934e089\system.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\mscorjit.dll', No symbols
loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\assembly\GAC\System.Drawing\1.0.5000.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a\System.
Drawing.dll', No symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\assembly\NativeImages1_v1.1.4322\System.Drawing\1.0.5000.0__b03f
5f7f11d50a3a_ffc7cdc8\System.Drawing.dll', No symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'c:\windows\assembly\gac\system.drawing\1.0.5000.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a\system.
drawing.dll', No symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS\x86_Microsoft.Windows.GdiPlus_6595b64144ccf1df_1.0.3790.1
36_x-ww_23C91158\GdiPlus.dll', No symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\apphelp.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\MSCTFIME.IME', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\MSIMTF.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\MSCTF.dll', No
symbols loaded.

'WindowsApplication2.exe': Loaded
'C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS\x86_Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls_6595b64144ccf1df_5.
82.0.0_x-ww_8A69BA05\comctl32.dll', No symbols loaded.

 

[Mikael Östberg]

Yes, when I just run the code in non debug mode it works fine which would
mean that it's the debugger that is failing for some reason.

::m

 

[Mikael Östberg]

Hello again!

I tried to debug an old ASP.NET project and there it works fine.

This narrows this wierd issue down to Win32 apps.

Clues anyone..?

::m

 

[John Bailo]

You say this is a class library -- a dll?

Maybe you're in dll hell -- that is, a dll has been registered with the
GAC or with the registry and it's not being released/overwritten by your
new code.

Have you tried writing a completely new app, with a new name in a new
directory?

 

[Mikael Östberg]

Well..

In my efforts to solve this, I started a completely new project which
consists only of a C# Windows Application through the New Prjoct Wizard.

Even then, this problem occurs.

In the debug output window, I can see that the symbols for my application
are loaded.

So no, I'm not in DLL hell..

::m