How to Install BugChecker

Unzip the archive (for example in C:\BugChecker) and then type in a console window:

This will ask for one of these files, which belong to a Microsoft Visual Studio installation (and that are not redistributable):

• MSPDB50.dll from Microsoft Developer Studio
• MSPDB60.dll from Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0
• MSPDB70.dll from Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 7
• MSPDB71.dll from Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003
• MSPDB80.dll from Microsoft Visual Studio 2005

The selected file path will be saved in the registry and later used for symbol translation. At its current release, BcUtil requires MsPdbXX.dll from a Visual Studio installation because the actual symbol translation code relies both on MsPdbXX.dll and DIA SDK (that is the only correct and documented way to read and parse PDB files) However, in 2002, when BugChecker was developed, the DIA SDK had not been released yet by Microsoft (it first shipped with Visual Studio .NET 2003). So the initial symbol translation code was developed relying on dynamic binding to this DLL (as early versions of SoftICE Symbol Loader did for years). Right now, I am in the process of converting the remaining legacy translation code in order to use DIA SDK exclusively, thus avoiding the MsPdb dependency (NOTE: DIA SDK is included in the current binaries of BugChecker and is automatically registered by BcUtil, if not already COM-visible in the system).

Then make sure you are connected to the internet, and type:

This command will install these drivers:

• BugCheckerVideo (vpcicevd.sys, service name: vpcicevd, start type: boot)
• BugChecker (vpcice.sys, service name: vpcice, start type: demand)

It will also create a BugChk.Dat file (copied in your Windows\System32\Drivers directory) that contains kernel-specific offsets to OS private functions and type fields, that are required by BugChecker to interact correctly with the underlying operating system. WARNING: without this file BugChecker defaults to Windows 2000 SP4, most likely blue-screening your computer.

To start BugChecker, reboot (so BugCheckerVideo loads at boot time) and type on the target system:

Related Topics:

• How to Install BugChecker
• How to Compile BugChecker
• BugChk.Dat Remote Creation