MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis for VS Code: Setup

What you can do with MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis in VS Code

Choose it to pair assistant explanations with direct WinDbg/CDB control for Windows investigations.

• Interpret exception context and call stacks from a Windows crash dump.
• Connect to a remote debugging target and inspect threads.

Before you start: MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis in VS Code

• Windows
• Python 3.10 or newer
• Debugging Tools for Windows or Microsoft Store WinDbg
• mcp-windbg package installed
• An MCP-compatible client

Install with pip install mcp-windbg before using this documented client launch. Configure symbols for your environment. Streamable HTTP is a separate option; only trusted Python scripts should be supplied as text filters.

MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis VS Code configuration

1. Choose VS Code configuration scope

   For MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis, open Workspace: .vscode/mcp.json. Merge into servers; preserve existing inputs.

2. Add MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis to VS Code

   Use the mcp-windbg entry below in servers. Keep MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis's documented stdio connection fields and your other VS Code entries.

3. Check MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis in VS Code

   MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis: Start in VS Code’s MCP controls; inspect output and trust prompts.

{
  "servers": {
    "mcp-windbg": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "python",
      "args": [
        "-m",
        "mcp_windbg"
      ],
      "env": {
        "_NT_SYMBOL_PATH": "<debugger symbol search path>"
      }
    }
  }
}

MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis tools available to VS Code

MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis's stored tool list documents 7 tools; compare it with VS Code's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

list_windbg_dumps

Look for list_windbg_dumps among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis through the MCP controls.

open_windbg_dump

Look for open_windbg_dump among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis through the MCP controls.

Open a crash dump for debugger analysis.

close_windbg_dump

Look for close_windbg_dump among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis through the MCP controls.

Release an active dump-analysis session.

open_windbg_remote

Look for open_windbg_remote among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis through the MCP controls.

close_windbg_remote

Look for close_windbg_remote among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis through the MCP controls.

Disconnect and clean up a remote debugging session.

run_windbg_cmd

Look for run_windbg_cmd among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis through the MCP controls.

Execute a WinDbg command during an investigation.

send_ctrl_break

Look for send_ctrl_break among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis through the MCP controls.

MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis in VS Code

• Make python (Python) available in the workspace, container, or remote environment hosting MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis. Start through VS Code's MCP controls; inspect output and trust prompts.
• For MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis, keep _NT_SYMBOL_PATH out of version control; VS Code documents input variables and secret handling.
• MCP Server for WinDbg Crash Analysis uses stdio here: VS Code must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
• Known limitation: Requires Windows and Microsoft's debugging tools.
• Known limitation: Assists investigation rather than automatically fixing crashes.
• Known limitation: Filter scripts execute in-process and must be trusted.
• General VS Code troubleshooting lives in the /clients/vscode guide.

Frequently asked questions