---
name: dotnet-windbg-debugging-19ed0967d80c
description: Debugs Windows apps via WinDbg MCP. Crash, hang, high-CPU, and memory triage from dumps or live attach.
license: MIT
targets: ['*']
tags: ['foundation', 'dotnet', 'skill']
version: '0.0.1'
author: 'dotnet-agent-harness'
claudecode:
  allowed-tools: ['Read', 'Grep', 'Glob', 'Bash', 'Write', 'Edit']
codexcli:
  short-description: '.NET skill guidance for foundation tasks'
opencode:
  allowed-tools: ['Read', 'Grep', 'Glob', 'Bash', 'Write', 'Edit']
---

# dotnet-windbg-debugging

Windows user-mode debugging using WinDbg MCP tools. Applicable to any Windows application -- native, managed (.NET/CLR),
or mixed-mode. Guides investigation of crash dumps, application hangs, high CPU, and memory pressure through structured
command packs and report templates.

**Platform:** Windows only.

## Scope

- Crash dump analysis (.dmp files) for any Windows process (native, .NET, or mixed-mode)
- Live process attach via cdb debug server
- Hang and deadlock diagnosis (thread analysis, lock detection)
- High CPU triage (runaway thread identification)
- Memory pressure and leak investigation via native heap analysis
- Kernel dump triage (BSOD / bugcheck analysis)
- COM/RPC wait chain and UI message pump analysis
- Structured diagnostic reports with stack evidence

## Out of scope

- .NET SDK diagnostic tools (dotnet-counters, dotnet-trace, dotnet-dump) -- see [skill:dotnet-profiling]
- GC tuning and managed memory optimization -- see [skill:dotnet-gc-memory]
- Performance benchmarking and regression detection -- see [skill:dotnet-benchmarkdotnet]
- Application performance architecture patterns -- see [skill:dotnet-performance-patterns]

## MCP Tool Contract

Use these `mcp-windbg` operations:

1. `mcp_mcp-windbg_open_windbg_remote` -- attach to a live debug server
2. `mcp_mcp-windbg_open_windbg_dump` -- open a saved dump file
3. `mcp_mcp-windbg_run_windbg_cmd` -- execute debugger commands
4. `mcp_mcp-windbg_close_windbg_remote` -- detach from live session
5. `mcp_mcp-windbg_close_windbg_dump` -- close dump session

## Quick Start

1. Configure and access MCP: see `reference/access-mcp.md`
2. Choose workflow:
   - Live attach: see `reference/live-attach.md`
   - Dump analysis: see `reference/dump-workflow.md`
3. Choose a task reference: see `reference/scenario-command-packs.md`
4. Use support references as needed:
   - Sanity check: `reference/sanity-check.md`
   - Symbols: `reference/symbols.md`
   - Common patterns: `reference/common-patterns.md`
   - Capture playbooks: `reference/capture-playbooks.md`
5. Return results using `reference/report-template.md`
6. Close the debug session.

## Completion Criteria

- Correct mode selected (live or dump)
- Task reference executed for the symptom
- Findings reference concrete stacks/threads/modules
- Session closed cleanly

## Guardrails

- Do not claim certainty without callee-side evidence
- Do not call it a deadlock unless lock/wait evidence supports it
- Preserve user privacy: do not include secrets from environment blocks in reports

Cross-references: [skill:dotnet-profiling] for .NET SDK diagnostic tools, [skill:dotnet-gc-memory] for managed GC and
memory tuning.

## References

- [WinDbg MCP](https://github.com/anthropics/windbg-mcp) -- MCP server for WinDbg integration
- [WinDbg Documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/debugger/) -- Microsoft debugger
  documentation


---
Source attribution: dotnet-agent-harness
Original project: https://github.com/diegosouzapw/awesome-omni-skill/blob/a6b3c3005cedf056a48b084671c6282426d6e9fc/skills/development/dotnet-windbg-debugging/SKILL.md
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.



# Mega AI Hub resource metadata

Creator / publisher: dotnet-agent-harness
Original project: https://github.com/diegosouzapw/awesome-omni-skill/blob/a6b3c3005cedf056a48b084671c6282426d6e9fc/skills/development/dotnet-windbg-debugging/SKILL.md
Attribution basis: Source repository record

Fields of work: Development & Engineering, Product Management
Roles: Backend Developer, DevOps / SRE, Technical Product Manager
Specialties: Backend, Testing
Tools: Windbg
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source category, role and specialization labels
Instruction SHA-256: afe03d7a7424761f1842260272e363c9547f28c73471cbda88cb4600460341c5