Newbee: Debugging Blue Screen?

Hello,

I'm getting a "blue screen" on an IBM x3950 running Windows 2003
Server when reading a word from a custom PCI board:

*** Hardware Malfunction.

Call your hardware vendor for support.

*** The system has halted. ***

What is the best way to get started debugging this problem?

Thanks,
Kent

Doron
Thu Jan 31 17:23:44 CST 2008

attach a kernel debugger and when it bugchecks, run !analyze -v. if you are
having hard time understanding that output, post the results to the group.
remember to make sure that you have valid symbols loaded for the kernel,
hal, and your driver before running !analyze -v

d

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"Kent" <kent.hamon@aeroflex.com> wrote in message
news:eedc3701-b629-4027-b955-de2a9634ec22@u10g2000prn.googlegroups.com...
> Hello,
>
> I'm getting a "blue screen" on an IBM x3950 running Windows 2003
> Server when reading a word from a custom PCI board:
>
> *** Hardware Malfunction.
>
> Call your hardware vendor for support.
>
> *** The system has halted. ***
>
> What is the best way to get started debugging this problem?
>
> Thanks,
> Kent
>

Kent
Fri Feb 01 09:48:58 CST 2008

Doron,

Thanks for the fast response!

Is there any special version of the kernel debugger that I should use
for Windows 2003 Server?
I will be running the debugger on a XP computer attached by a serial
cable unless there is a
better arrangement.

Kent

Don
Fri Feb 01 09:59:31 CST 2008

Kent,

Get the newest version from
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/DevTools/Debugging/default.mspx Serial is
the easiest to setup, 1394 has a faster response. Using the latest
version, means the !analyze command has the latest code to help you track
down the problem.

--
Don Burn (MVP, Windows DDK)
Windows 2k/XP/2k3 Filesystem and Driver Consulting
Website: http://www.windrvr.com
Blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/WinDrvr
Remove StopSpam to reply



"Kent" <kent.hamon@aeroflex.com> wrote in message
news:4f0e8f7c-8268-42a3-bb53-1cff5e19251f@f10g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> Doron,
>
> Thanks for the fast response!
>
> Is there any special version of the kernel debugger that I should use
> for Windows 2003 Server?
> I will be running the debugger on a XP computer attached by a serial
> cable unless there is a
> better arrangement.
>
> Kent
>
>

Maxim
Fri Feb 01 14:17:06 CST 2008

> Is there any special version of the kernel debugger that I should use
> for Windows 2003 Server?

No, usual WinDbg.

--
Maxim Shatskih, Windows DDK MVP
StorageCraft Corporation
maxim@storagecraft.com
http://www.storagecraft.com

Kent
Wed Feb 06 13:13:00 CST 2008

Hello,

I didn't see another blue screen on our system until today...

Previous to the blue screen occurance I did add the following to the target
boot.ini:
.../debug=autoenable /debugport=COM1 /baudrate=19200

I expected the /debug=autoenable setting to somehow halt the target computer
so that I could enter the kernel debugger on the host computer but the target
IBM x3950 reboots after several seconds of blue screen display.

Is there a BIOS or Windows setup setting that I have to change to prevent
the reboot after a blue screen?

Do I need to have the kernel debugger (windbg.exe) running on the and
somehow connected (sofware wise) to the target computer before the blue
screen occurs?

Thanks,
Kent

Kent
Wed Feb 06 15:06:01 CST 2008

Doron,

I have a COM port connection to WinDbg. Is there a way to execute !analyze
-v from WinDbg?

I also have set WinDbg debugger to use the Microsoft Symbol Server. Will
this get the symbols for the kernel and hal? How do I get symbols for my
driver?

Thanks,
Kent

Don
Wed Feb 06 15:11:32 CST 2008

Kent,

When the crash occurs wait for a prompt then type !analyze -v in the
command window. For the symbols, the symbol server will get the symbols for
anything on the Windows installation DVD (or upgrades). Add a second symbol
search path to WinDBG to point to the directory where the PDB file for your
driver is located.

--
Don Burn (MVP, Windows DDK)
Windows 2k/XP/2k3 Filesystem and Driver Consulting
Website: http://www.windrvr.com
Blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/WinDrvr
Remove StopSpam to reply



"Kent" <Kent@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A6CF3192-0776-40D3-85A2-34B1F3410E6C@microsoft.com...
> Doron,
>
> I have a COM port connection to WinDbg. Is there a way to execute !analyze
> -v from WinDbg?
>
> I also have set WinDbg debugger to use the Microsoft Symbol Server. Will
> this get the symbols for the kernel and hal? How do I get symbols for my
> driver?
>
> Thanks,
> Kent

Tim
Wed Feb 06 23:03:27 CST 2008

Kent <Kent@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
>I didn't see another blue screen on our system until today...
>
>Previous to the blue screen occurance I did add the following to the target
>boot.ini:
>.../debug=autoenable /debugport=COM1 /baudrate=19200
>
>I expected the /debug=autoenable setting to somehow halt the target computer
>so that I could enter the kernel debugger on the host computer but the target
>IBM x3950 reboots after several seconds of blue screen display.
>
>Is there a BIOS or Windows setup setting that I have to change to prevent
>the reboot after a blue screen?

Yes. Control Panel, System, Advanced, Startup and Recovery. Turn off
"Automatically restart".

>Do I need to have the kernel debugger (windbg.exe) running on the and
>somehow connected (sofware wise) to the target computer before the blue
>screen occurs?

If you know it's going to happen, I would certainly do it that way.
--
Tim Roberts, timr@probo.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

Kent
Thu Feb 07 09:26:02 CST 2008

"Kent" wrote:
Is there a BIOS or Windows setup setting that I have to change to prevent
a reboot after a blue screen?

"Tim Roberts" wrote:
Yes. Control Panel, System, Advanced, Startup and Recovery. Turn off
"Automatically restart".

"Kent" wrote:
This setting is (and has been) disabled but the IBM x3950 still reboots
after a blue screen display for approximately 20 seconds. I'll check and see
if there are any bios settings that might do this unless anyone has other
ideas.

I also noticed that this computer has the Write debugging information
selection set to "Kernel memory dump" with the Dump file selection set to
"%SystemRoot%MEMORY.DMP".

My %SystemRoot% is set to "C:\Windows" but there doesn't seem be any file in
that directory even though multiple blue screens have occured. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Kent

Kent
Thu Feb 07 14:57:01 CST 2008

Hello,

When using Kernel Debug mode in WinDbg.exe the following message is
displayed when our application program is run in debug mode from Visual
Studio on the target:

>> MSEnv extensibility IClassFactory::LockServer(TRUE), lock count: 1

Should this be interpreted as meaning that the kernel debugging via a COM
port cannot be utilized when running the application from within Visual
Studio?

We are normally running our application from VS in debug mode on the target
and would like to get the blue screen bugcheck information in WinDbg on the
host.

Thanks,
Kent

Maxim
Sat Feb 09 08:51:51 CST 2008

Any calls to OutputDebugString from any user mode code on the target
machine are delivered to the kernel debugger, this is normal.

--
Maxim Shatskih, Windows DDK MVP
StorageCraft Corporation
maxim@storagecraft.com
http://www.storagecraft.com

"Kent" <Kent@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E9BF8FA7-FC22-4E58-BF3E-A67F6E03D979@microsoft.com...
> Hello,
>
> When using Kernel Debug mode in WinDbg.exe the following message is
> displayed when our application program is run in debug mode from Visual
> Studio on the target:
>
> >> MSEnv extensibility IClassFactory::LockServer(TRUE), lock count: 1
>
> Should this be interpreted as meaning that the kernel debugging via a COM
> port cannot be utilized when running the application from within Visual
> Studio?
>
> We are normally running our application from VS in debug mode on the target
> and would like to get the blue screen bugcheck information in WinDbg on the
> host.
>
> Thanks,
> Kent

Tim
Sat Feb 09 16:49:41 CST 2008

Kent <Kent@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
>"Kent" wrote:
>This setting is (and has been) disabled but the IBM x3950 still reboots
>after a blue screen display for approximately 20 seconds. I'll check and see
>if there are any bios settings that might do this unless anyone has other
>ideas.

The BIOS has no clue that a blue screen has happened. To the BIOS, a blue
screen is just normal application activity.

I'd try hooking up a second machine and use the kernel debugger.

>I also noticed that this computer has the Write debugging information
>selection set to "Kernel memory dump" with the Dump file selection set to
>"%SystemRoot%MEMORY.DMP".
>
>My %SystemRoot% is set to "C:\Windows" but there doesn't seem be any file in
>that directory even though multiple blue screens have occured. Any ideas?

Is there a backslash between the % and the M? If not, it may be writing a
file called WindowsMEMORY.DMP in the root of the disk.
--
Tim Roberts, timr@probo.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.