--- title: "WinDbg MCP Server: Crash Dump and Kernel Debugging with AI" url: "https://mcpshelf.co/servers/windbg" description: "mcp-windbg lets an assistant drive cdb.exe and kd.exe to triage crash dumps, attach to remote targets and debug kernels on Windows. Setup and symbols." updated: "2026-10-27" site: "MCP Shelf" --- # MCP Server for WinDbg > Lets an assistant run WinDbg commands to triage crash dumps and debug live Windows targets. Source: https://mcpshelf.co/servers/windbg Markdown: https://mcpshelf.co/servers/windbg.md Generated: 2026-10-28T15:30:31.962Z ## Facts - **Name:** MCP Server for WinDbg - **Tagline:** Lets an assistant run WinDbg commands to triage crash dumps and debug live Windows targets. - **Description:** MCP Server for WinDbg (mcp-windbg) is an open source MCP server that lets AI assistants analyse Windows crash dumps and debug live targets through the cdb and kd debuggers, reading stacks, modules and exceptions. - **Repository:** https://github.com/svnscha/mcp-windbg - **Package:** mcp-windbg 1.6.0 (PyPI) - **Install:** `/plugin marketplace add svnscha/mcp-windbg`, then `/plugin install mcp-windbg-uvx@mcp-windbg` - **Transport:** stdio (local) - **Auth:** No required keys or settings listed - **Tools exposed:** 12: `list_dumps`, `open_cdb_dump`, `open_cdb_remote`, `open_kd_session`, `open_kd_dump`, `run_cdb_command`, `run_kd_command`, `close_cdb_session`, `close_kd_session`, `send_ctrl_break`, `wait_for_break`, `read_debugger_log` - **Category:** Developer tools (https://mcpshelf.co/categories/developer-tools) - **Stats:** 1.6K GitHub stars, 752 downloads a week, last commit 23 Oct 2026, 0 upvotes on MCP Shelf - **Install check:** Needs your setup first - **Listed:** 2026-10-27 - **Page updated:** 2026-10-27 ## Full description ### What is MCP Server for WinDbg? **MCP Server for WinDbg (mcp-windbg) is an open source MCP server that lets AI assistants analyse Windows crash dumps and debug live targets through the cdb and kd debuggers, reading stacks, modules and exceptions.** Sven Scharmentke's server wraps the Windows command-line debuggers, cdb.exe and kd.exe, so a model can run real debugger commands and reason about the output. Open a crash dump and it runs the usual triage in one step: !analyze -v, the stack, threads and loaded modules. It can also attach to a user-mode debug server or a kernel target over the network, a named pipe or serial, and keep several sessions open at once. It is a community project, separate from the MCP support Microsoft has since built into WinDbg itself. It suits people who want another MCP client, want to triage a folder of dumps in one go, or need a filter script that removes secrets from output before it reaches the model. | | | | --- | --- | | Made by | Sven Scharmentke (svnscha) | | GitHub | https://github.com/svnscha/mcp-windbg | | Licence | MIT | | PyPI package | [mcp-windbg](https://pypi.org/project/mcp-windbg/) 1.6.0 (23 Oct 2026) | | GitHub stars | 1.6K | | Downloads | 752 a week | | Last commit | 23 Oct 2026 | | Tools | 12 | | Runs on | Your computer | | Install check | Needs your setup first | | Category | [Developer tools](https://mcpshelf.co/categories/developer-tools) | | Setup checked | 27 Oct 2026 | | Page updated | 27 Oct 2026 | **Our check:** It needs something our Linux test machine does not have (an account, a desktop app, a Mac or a running service), so on 27 Oct 2026 we read its tools from the source code instead of running this config. #### MCP Shelf take > MCP Server for WinDbg needs something our Linux test machine does not have (an account, an app or a service), so on 27 Oct 2026 we read its source and counted 12 tools. 2 of the 12 only read; the other 10 can change things. It sits 16th of 21 in its category on our shelf by GitHub stars (1.6K, with 752 downloads a week). — MCP Shelf tests (numbers from our own runs), tested on 27 Oct 2026 ### What tools does MCP Server for WinDbg have? We listed 12 tools on 27 Oct 2026. 2 only read; the rest can change things or run commands. | Tool | Kind | What it is for | | --- | --- | --- | | `list_dumps` | reads | Lists the crash dump files in a folder. | | `open_cdb_dump` | changes | Opens a user-mode crash dump in cdb, runs !analyze -v and the usual triage, and returns a session ID. | | `open_cdb_remote` | changes | Connects to a live user-mode debug server started with cdb -server. | | `open_kd_session` | changes | Connects to a live kernel target over KDNET, a named pipe or serial, and breaks in. | | `open_kd_dump` | changes | Opens a kernel dump such as MEMORY.DMP or a minidump in kd and runs the same triage. | | `run_cdb_command` | runs | Runs a debugger command in a user-mode session. | | `run_kd_command` | runs | Runs a debugger command in a kernel session. | | `close_cdb_session` | changes | Closes a user-mode session. It does not stop a debug server you started yourself. | | `close_kd_session` | changes | Closes a kernel session and lets the target machine run again. | | `send_ctrl_break` | changes | Breaks into a running target so commands work again. | | `wait_for_break` | changes | Waits for a resumed target to stop and returns what it printed. | | `read_debugger_log` | reads | Reads the newest lines of a session's debugger log. Needs --log-dir. | ### How do I install MCP Server for WinDbg? #### What you need first - Windows with Debugging Tools for Windows, or WinDbg from the Microsoft Store - uv, for uvx (or Python 3.10 or newer with pip, or the standalone mcp-windbg.exe) #### Claude Code Where: Inside Claude Code ```bash /plugin marketplace add svnscha/mcp-windbg /plugin install mcp-windbg-uvx@mcp-windbg ``` The shortest route, with symbols preconfigured; it needs uv (winget install astral-sh.uv). Optional plugins add four skills and a crash-analyst agent. In managed enterprise setups, register the server yourself with claude mcp add instead. #### Cursor Where: ~/.cursor/mcp.json, or .cursor/mcp.json in a project ```json { "mcpServers": { "windbg": { "command": "uvx", "args": [ "mcp-windbg" ], "env": { "_NT_SYMBOL_PATH": "SRV*C:\\Symbols*https://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols" } } } } ``` #### Claude Desktop Where: claude_desktop_config.json (Settings → Developer → Edit Config) ```json { "mcpServers": { "windbg": { "command": "uvx", "args": [ "mcp-windbg" ], "env": { "_NT_SYMBOL_PATH": "SRV*C:\\Symbols*https://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols" } } } } ``` #### VS Code Where: .vscode/mcp.json in your project ```json { "servers": { "windbg": { "type": "stdio", "command": "uvx", "args": [ "mcp-windbg" ], "env": { "_NT_SYMBOL_PATH": "SRV*C:\\Symbols*https://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols" } } } } ``` #### Windsurf Where: ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json ```json { "mcpServers": { "windbg": { "command": "uvx", "args": [ "mcp-windbg" ], "env": { "_NT_SYMBOL_PATH": "SRV*C:\\Symbols*https://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols" } } } } ``` #### ChatGPT Where: Not supported Not supported: it runs the Windows debuggers on your machine, and ChatGPT only connects to remote servers. Add "--cdb-path" or "--kd-path" if the debuggers are somewhere unusual, and "--timeout 120" for large dumps. The HTTP transport has no sign-in, so keep it on 127.0.0.1 or behind a tunnel. Checked against the project's own install docs on 27 Oct 2026: https://github.com/svnscha/mcp-windbg#readme ### How do I configure MCP Server for WinDbg? | Setting | Kind | Required | What it does | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `_NT_SYMBOL_PATH` | env | no | Where the debugger finds symbols. Point it at the Microsoft symbol server with a local cache. Example: `SRV*C:\Symbols*https://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols` | | `--cdb-path / --kd-path` | flag | no | Full paths to cdb.exe and kd.exe, if auto-detection does not find them. | | `--timeout` | flag | no | The baseline timeout in seconds for commands and connections. The default is 60. Example: `--timeout 120` | | `--filter-script` | flag | no | A Python file whose hooks can rewrite tool input and output, for example to remove secrets before they reach the model. | | `--log-dir` | flag | no | Writes each session's full debugger output to a log file in this folder. | | `--transport` | flag | no | stdio (the default) or streamable-http, to drive the debugger from another machine. Example: `--transport streamable-http` | ### What can MCP Server for WinDbg read and change? **It can read** - Crash dumps and the memory, stacks and modules inside them - Live processes and kernels you attach it to **It can change** - The state of a live target: breaking in, resuming, and anything a debugger command can do to it **Safer setup:** Work from dumps rather than live targets, use a filter script to strip secrets, and keep the HTTP transport on 127.0.0.1, since it has no sign-in. ### Good for - Finding the faulting frame and likely cause of an application crash - Working out which driver caused a blue screen from a kernel dump - Triaging a folder of dumps and grouping them by signature ### MCP Server for WinDbg not working? Common fixes **CDB not found** Install Debugging Tools for Windows or WinDbg from the Microsoft Store, or pass --cdb-path with the full path to cdb.exe. **Stacks show offsets instead of function names** Symbols are not loading. Set _NT_SYMBOL_PATH, keep matching .pdb files next to the dump, and check the machine can reach msdl.microsoft.com. **Commands time out on large dumps** Raise --timeout, for example to 120, and ask for targeted commands rather than broad analysis. **No module named mcp_windbg** With a pip install, point the client at the Python interpreter of the environment where you installed it. ### What are the alternatives to MCP Server for WinDbg? | Server | What it does | Tools | Runs on | Licence | Stars | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [MCP Server for WinDbg](https://mcpshelf.co/servers/windbg) | Lets an assistant run WinDbg commands to triage crash dumps and debug live Windows targets. | 12 | Your computer | MIT | 1.6K | | [MCP Language Server](https://mcpshelf.co/servers/mcp-language-server) | Puts a real language server behind your assistant: definitions, references, diagnostics and rename. | 6 | Your computer | BSD-3-Clause | 1.6K | | [Nx MCP](https://mcpshelf.co/servers/nx) | Your Nx monorepo's projects, tasks, generators and CI results, for your assistant. | 13 | Your computer | MIT | 1.4K | | [Jupyter MCP Server](https://mcpshelf.co/servers/jupyter) | Lets an assistant edit and run cells in a live Jupyter notebook and read the results. | 18 | Your computer | BSD | 1.3K | | [Burp Suite MCP](https://mcpshelf.co/servers/burp-suite) | Lets an assistant send requests, read proxy history and use Repeater in Burp Suite. | 27 | Your computer | GPL-3.0 | 1.3K | | [Ref MCP](https://mcpshelf.co/servers/ref) | Docs search for coding agents that returns only the part of the page that matters. | 2 | Your computer or hosted | MIT | 1.2K | ### MCP Server for WinDbg FAQ #### How do I add the MCP Server for WinDbg to Claude Code? Inside Claude Code, run /plugin marketplace add svnscha/mcp-windbg, then /plugin install mcp-windbg-uvx@mcp-windbg. Or pip install mcp-windbg and register it with claude mcp add, setting _NT_SYMBOL_PATH. #### What do I need to run mcp-windbg? Windows with Debugging Tools for Windows or WinDbg from the Microsoft Store, which provide cdb.exe and kd.exe. Then uv, Python 3.10 or newer, or the signed mcp-windbg.exe from a release. #### mcp-windbg or Microsoft's WinDbg MCP? Microsoft's version is built into WinDbg 1.2610 and newer and works with GitHub Copilot. mcp-windbg runs cdb and kd headless, works with any MCP client and can triage many dumps at once. #### Is mcp-windbg free? Yes. It is MIT licensed, and the Windows debugging tools it drives are free from Microsoft. #### Is mcp-windbg safe? Work from dumps rather than live targets where you can, use a filter script to strip secrets from output, and keep the HTTP transport on 127.0.0.1, since it has no sign-in. #### Why do mcp-windbg stacks show offsets instead of function names? Symbols are not loading. Set _NT_SYMBOL_PATH to a cache plus Microsoft's symbol server, for example SRV*C:\Symbols*https://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols, and add your own PDB folders. #### Can mcp-windbg debug a live machine? Yes. It can attach to remote cdb sessions and kernel debugging sessions with kd, break in and send commands, as well as opening user-mode and kernel dumps. #### Why can't mcp-windbg find CDB? It auto-detects the Windows SDK and Store installs. If yours lives elsewhere, pass --cdb-path or --kd-path with the full path to the debugger. Full docs on GitHub: https://github.com/svnscha/mcp-windbg ## Notes for agents Fetch these instead of parsing the HTML page: - llms.txt: https://mcpshelf.co/llms.txt - llms-full.txt: https://mcpshelf.co/llms-full.txt - ai.txt: https://mcpshelf.co/ai.txt - Full catalog (.md): https://mcpshelf.co/catalog.md - API spec: https://mcpshelf.co/openapi.json - MCP server: https://mcpshelf.co/mcp - MCP manifest: https://mcpshelf.co/.well-known/mcp.json - Developer docs: https://mcpshelf.co/developers MCP endpoint (Streamable HTTP, no key): https://mcpshelf.co/mcp. REST API: https://mcpshelf.co/api/v1.