How to Download and Use Remote Debugger in Visual Studio 2019
Remote debugging is a powerful feature of Visual Studio 2019 that allows you to debug a Visual Studio application that has been deployed on a different computer. In this article, you will learn what remote debugging is, why you need it, how to download and install the remote tools for Visual Studio 2019, how to set up the remote debugger, how to remote debug a Visual Studio 2019 project, and how to set up debugging with remote symbols. By the end of this article, you will be able to debug your applications on any device or server with ease.
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What is Remote Debugging and Why You Need It
Remote debugging is the process of running a debugger on one computer (the host) and connecting it to another computer (the target) where an application is running. The debugger allows you to inspect the state of the application, set breakpoints, step through code, watch variables, evaluate expressions, and more. Remote debugging is useful for many scenarios, such as:
Remote debugging scenarios and benefits
Debugging on production machines with no development tools installed other than the remote debugger tools. This can help you diagnose and fix issues that only occur in production environments.
Debugging on devices or servers that have different operating systems, architectures, or configurations than your development machine. This can help you test your application's compatibility and performance on various platforms.
Debugging on devices or servers that are not physically accessible or have limited resources. This can help you debug your application without having to transfer files or install software on the target machine.
Remote debugging requirements and limitations
To use remote debugging, you need to meet some requirements and be aware of some limitations, such as:
The remote debugger is supported on Windows 7 and newer (not phone) and versions of Windows Server starting with Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2. For a complete list of requirements, see .
The latest remote tools version is compatible with earlier Visual Studio versions, but earlier remote tools versions aren't compatible with later Visual Studio versions. For example, if you are using Visual Studio 2019, download the latest update of the remote tools for Visual Studio 2019. In this scenario, do not download the remote tools for Visual Studio 2022.
The remote tools must match the architecture of the target machine. For example, if you want to debug x86 applications on a remote computer running an x64 operating system, install the x64 remote tools. To debug x86, ARM, or x64 applications on an ARM64 operating system, install the ARM64 remote tools.
Debugging between two computers connected through a proxy is not supported. Debugging over a high latency or low bandwidth connection, such as dialup Internet, or over the Internet across countries/regions is not recommended and may fail or be unacceptably slow.
How to Download and Install the Remote Tools for Visual Studio 2019
To download and install the remote tools for Visual Studio 2019, follow these steps:
Choose the right version and architecture of the remote tools
As mentioned earlier, you need to download the remote tools that match the version and architecture of the target machine. To find out the version and architecture of the target machine, you can use one of these methods:
On the target machine, open a command prompt and run wmic os get osarchitecture to get the architecture, and wmic os get version to get the version.
On the target machine, open the System Information app and look for the System Type and Version fields.
On your development machine, open Visual Studio 2019 and go to Tools > Options > Debugging > General. Check the option "Show remote machine architecture in attach to process dialog". Then, go to Debug > Attach to Process and select the target machine from the Qualifier drop-down list. You will see the architecture of the target machine in parentheses next to its name.
Download the remote tools from the official link
Once you know the version and architecture of the target machine, you can download the remote tools from this link: . Choose the appropriate download based on your target machine's architecture. For example, if you want to debug x64 applications on a remote computer running an x64 operating system, download Remote Tools for Visual Studio 2019 (x64).
Install the remote tools on the remote device or server
After downloading the remote tools, copy them to the target machine and run them as an administrator. Follow the instructions in the setup wizard to complete the installation. You can choose to install only the remote debugger component or all of the remote tools components, which include:
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The Remote Debugger: This is the main component that allows you to connect to and debug applications on a remote machine.
The Remote Profiler: This allows you to collect performance data from a remote machine and analyze it in Visual Studio 2019.
The IntelliTrace Standalone Collector: This allows you to collect IntelliTrace data from a remote machine and analyze it in Visual Studio 2019.
The Test Agent: This allows you to run automated tests on a remote machine using Visual Studio Test Controller or Azure DevOps.
The Test Controller: This allows you to manage test agents and test settings for distributed load testing.
How to Set Up the Remote Debugger for Visual Studio 2019
After installing the remote tools on the target machine, you need to set up the remote debugger to allow Visual Studio 2019 to connect to it. Here are some steps to do that:
Run the remote debugger as an application or a service
You can run the remote debugger as an application or a service on the target machine. The application mode is easier to set up and use, but it requires you to log on to the target machine and start the remote debugger manually. The service mode is more secure and convenient, but it requires you to configure the service settings and permissions. To run the remote debugger as an application, do the following:
On the target machine, go to Start > All Programs > Visual Studio 2019 > Visual Studio Tools > Remote Debugger.
Select the appropriate version of the remote debugger based on the architecture of the target machine. For example, if you want to debug x64 applications on a remote computer running an x64 operating system, select Remote Debugger (x64).
A window will open showing the status of the remote debugger. You can minimize this window, but do not close it.
To run the remote debugger as a service, do the following:
On the target machine, go to Start > All Programs > Visual Studio 2019 > Visual Studio Tools > Remote Debugger Configuration Wizard.
Select the option "Configure remote debugging as a service" and click Next.
Choose a user account to run the service under. You can use a local system account or a domain account. The account must have administrative privileges on the target machine and must have access to the files and folders that you want to debug.
Choose a startup type for the service. You can choose automatic, manual, or disabled. Automatic means that the service will start when the target machine boots up. Manual means that you will have to start the service manually from the Services app or from Visual Studio 2019. Disabled means that the service will not run at all.
Click Next and then Finish to complete the configuration.
Configure the firewall and authentication settings
To allow Visual Studio 2019 to connect to the remote debugger, you need to configure the firewall and authentication settings on both the host and target machines. Here are some steps to do that:
On the target machine, make sure that TCP port 4022 is open on the firewall. This is the default port used by the remote debugger. You can change this port number if you want, but you have to make sure that both Visual Studio 2019 and the remote debugger use the same port number.
On the target machine, make sure that either Windows Authentication or No Authentication is enabled for the remote debugger. Windows Authentication is more secure, but it requires that both machines are in the same domain or trust each other. No Authentication is less secure, but it works across domains and networks. You can change this setting from the remote debugger window or from the Services app.
On your development machine, make sure that your user account has access to debug applications on the target machine. You can do this by adding your user account to the Debug Users or Administrators group on the target machine, or by granting your user account specific permissions using .
Find the remote debugger port number and server name
To connect to the remote debugger from Visual Studio 2019, you need to know the port number and the server name of the remote debugger. You can find these information from the remote debugger window or from the Services app. Here are some steps to do that:
On the target machine, open the remote debugger window or the Services app and look for the Remote Debugger service.
Check the port number and the server name displayed in the window or in the service properties. The port number is usually 4022, unless you changed it during the installation or configuration. The server name is usually the computer name, unless you specified a different name during the configuration.
Note down these information and use them to connect to the remote debugger from Visual Studio 2019.
How to Remote Debug a Visual Studio 2019 Project
After setting up the remote debugger on the target machine, you can remote debug a Visual Studio 2019 project from your development machine. Here are some steps to do that:
Configure the project properties to connect to the remote debugger
On your development machine, open Visual Studio 2019 and load the project that you want to debug. Then, do the following:
Right-click on the project in Solution Explorer and select Properties.
Go to the Debug tab and select Remote Windows Debugger from the Launch drop-down list.
In the Remote Server Name field, enter the server name of the remote debugger that you noted down earlier.
In the Remote Server Port field, enter the port number of the remote debugger that you noted down earlier.
In the Authentication Mode field, select either Windows Authentication or No Authentication, depending on what you enabled for the remote debugger.
In the Working Directory field, enter the path of the folder where your application is deployed on the target machine. For example, C:\MyApp\bin\Debug.
In the Use Remote Machine Environment Variables field, check or uncheck this option depending on whether you want to use the environment variables of the target machine or your development machine.
Click OK to save the changes.
Start debugging from Visual Studio 2019
After configuring the project properties, you can start debugging from Visual Studio 2019. To do that, do the following:
Make sure that the remote debugger is running on the target machine and that the firewall and authentication settings are correct.
Make sure that your application is deployed on the target machine and that the working directory matches the path of your application.
On your development machine, open Visual Studio 2019 and load the project that you want to debug.
Press F5 or click Debug > Start Debugging to start debugging.
A dialog box will appear asking you to confirm the connection to the remote debugger. Click Yes to continue.
If everything is set up correctly, you will see a message saying "Connected to remote debugger" in the Output window and a green arrow indicating that the debugging session has started.
Use debugging features and tools in Visual Studio 2019
Once you are connected to the remote debugger, you can use all the debugging features and tools in Visual Studio 2019, such as:
The Debug toolbar, which allows you to control the execution of your application, set breakpoints, step through code, and more.
The Debug menu, which provides various commands and options for debugging, such as attaching to processes, detaching from processes, stopping debugging, restarting debugging, and more.
The Debug windows, which display various information about your application, such as the call stack, the locals, the watch variables, the breakpoints, the output, and more.
The Immediate window, which allows you to enter and execute commands or expressions during debugging.
The DataTips, which show the value and type of a variable or expression when you hover over it in the code editor.
The Edit and Continue feature, which allows you to make changes to your code while debugging and apply them without stopping and restarting the debugging session.
How to Set Up Debugging with Remote Symbols in Visual Studio 2019
Sometimes, you may need to debug an application that does not have debug information embedded in it. For example, this may happen when you debug a release build of your application or a third-party library. In this case, you need to use remote symbols to enable debugging. Remote symbols are files that contain debug information for an application or a library. They are usually stored on a symbol server or a local folder. In this section, you will learn what remote symbols are, why you need them, how to configure symbol settings in Visual Studio 2019, and how to load symbols from a symbol server or a local folder.
What are remote symbols and why you need them
Remote symbols are files that contain debug information for an application or a library. Debug information is data that helps you understand what is happening in your code during debugging. It includes things like variable names, function names, source code lines, parameter types, return values, and more. Without debug information, you will not be able to see these details in Visual Studio 2019. You will only see raw memory addresses and hexadecimal values. This makes it very hard to debug your code effectively.
Remote symbols are called remote because they are not embedded in the application or library itself. They are stored separately on a symbol server or a local folder. A symbol server is a web server that hosts symbol files for various applications and libraries. A local folder is a folder on your computer or network that contains symbol files for specific applications and libraries. You can use either option to access remote symbols for debugging.
You need remote symbols when you debug an application or library that does not have debug information embedded in it. For example, this may happen when:
You debug a release build of your application. Release builds are optimized for performance and size. They usually do not contain debug information because it would increase their size and slow down their execution.
You debug a third-party library that you do not have the source code for. Third-party libraries are usually provided as binary files without debug information. This is done to protect their intellectual property and prevent reverse engineering.
How to configure symbol settings in Visual Studio 2019
To use remote symbols for debugging, you need to configure some symbol settings in Visual Studio 2019. These settings tell Visual Studio 2019 where to look for symbol files and how to load them. To configure symbol settings in Visual Studio 2019, do the following:
Options > Debugging > Symbols.
In the Symbol file (.pdb) locations box, add the URLs or paths of the symbol servers or local folders that contain the symbol files that you need. For example, you can add the Microsoft Symbol Server URL to get symbols for Microsoft products. You can also add a local folder on your computer or network that contains symbols for your own applications or libraries.
In the Cache symbols in this directory box, enter the path of a folder on your computer where Visual Studio 2019 will store the downloaded symbol files. This will speed up the loading of symbols and save bandwidth.
In the Load all modules, unless excluded box, check or uncheck this option depending on whether you want to load symbols for all modules or only for specific modules. If you check this option, Visual Studio 2019 will try to load symbols for all modules in your application. If you uncheck this option, Visual Studio 2019 will only load symbols for the modules that you specify in the Specify excluded modules box.
Click OK to save the changes.
How to load symbols from a symbol server or a local folder
After configuring the symbol settings in Visual Studio 2019, you can load symbols from a symbol server or a local folder for debugging. To do that, do the following:
On your development machine, open Visual Studio 2019 and load the project that you want to debug.
Press F5 or click Debug > Start Debugging to start debugging.
If Visual Studio 2019 finds symbols for your application or library on a symbol server or a local folder, it will automatically download and load them. You will see a message saying "Loading symbols for [module name]" in the Output window and a progress bar indicating the loading status.
If Visual Studio 2019 does not find symbols for your application or library on a symbol server or a local folder, it will show a warning icon next to the module name in the Modules window. You can open the Modules window by going to Debug > Windows > Modules.
To manually load symbols for a module, right-click on the module name in the Modules window and select Load Symbols. A dialog box will appear asking you to specify the location of the symbol file. You can enter the URL or path of the symbol server or local folder that contains the symbol file, or browse to it using the Browse button. Click OK to load the symbols.
Conclusion
In this article, you learned how to download and use remote debugger in Visual Studio 2019. You learned what remote debugging is, why you need it, how to download and install the remote tools for Visual Studio 2019, how to set up the remote debugger, how to remote debug a Visual Studio 2019 project, and how to set up debugging with remote symbols. By following these steps, you can debug your applications on any device or server with ease.
FAQs
Q: How can I debug an ASP.NET web application on a remote IIS server?
A: To debug an ASP.NET web application on a remote IIS server, you need to install and configure the remote tools on the server, enable remote debugging in IIS Manager, and attach to the w3wp.exe process from Visual Studio 2019. For more details, see .
Q: How can I debug a Windows service on a remote machine?
A: To debug a Windows service on a remote machine, you need to install and configure the remote tools on the remote machine, run the remote debugger as a service, and attach to the service process from Visual Studio 2019. For more details, see .
Q: How can I debug a UWP app on a remote device?
A: To debug a UWP app on a remote device, you need to enable developer mode on the device, install and configure the remote tools on the device, and deploy and debug the app from Visual Studio 2019. For more details, see .
Q: How can I debug a Linux app on a remote machine?
A: To debug a Linux app on a remote machine, you need to install and configure the Visual Studio Remote Debugger for Linux on the remote machine, and use SSH to connect and debug the app from Visual Studio 2019. For more details, see .
Q: How can I debug a Docker container on a remote machine?
A: To debug a Docker container on a remote machine, you need to install and configure Docker Desktop and Visual Studio Tools for Docker on your development machine, and use Docker commands to connect and debug the container from Visual Studio 2019. For more details, see .
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