The easiest way to get Windows symbols is to use the Microsoft Symbol Server. The symbol server makes symbols available to your debugging tools as needed. After a symbol file is downloaded from the symbol server it is cached on the local computer for quick access.
If you prefer to download the entire set of symbols for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, or Windows XP, then you can download a symbol package and install it on your computer.
Before downloading and installing each symbol package, you should have at least 1 GB of disk space free, because of the size of the download package and required temporary files:
The symbol download packages are listed by processor type (x86, Itanium, and x64) and build type (retail and checked). Almost all customers require the symbols for the retail version. If you are debugging a special version of Windows with extra debugging information, then you should download the symbols for the checked version.
Windows XP and later and Windows Server 2003 and later do not require localized symbols in order to debug localized versions of the product. Each symbol download package for these versions of Windows works for debugging all localized versions.
To learn more about using symbols and debugging, see Debugging Tools for Windows.
For help with debugging issues, see Debugging Resources.
For information on how to retrieve symbols for a machine that is not connected to the Internet, see Using a Manifest File with SymChk.
Feedback- We are interested in your feedback about symbols. Please mail suggestions or bug reports to windbgfb@microsoft.com. Technical support is not available from this address, but your feedback will help us to plan future changes for symbols and will make them more useful to you in the future.
The packages released September 2016, contain the preview symbols required to debug Windows 10 and Windows 10 Enterprise. These are preview symbols that should be used with the pre-release or flighted builds of Windows 10.
The packages released August 2016, contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows 10, Windows 10 Enterprise, Windows Server 2016, Standard, Windows Server 2016 Datacenter, Windows Storage Server 2016 Workgroup, Windows Storage Server 2016 Standard, Windows Server 2016 Essentials, Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016.
The packages released March 2016, contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14295.
The packages released November 2015, contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows 10, Windows 10 Enterprise, Windows Server Technical Preview, Windows Datacenter Technical Preview, and Windows Hyper-V Server Technical Preview.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows 10, Windows 10 for Enterprise, Windows Server Technical Preview, Windows Datacenter Technical Preview, and Windows Hyper-V Server Technical Preview, released July 29, 2015.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows 10 Insider Preview, Windows 10 Technical Preview for Enterprise, Windows Server Technical Preview, Windows Datacenter Technical Preview, and Windows Hyper-V Server Technical Preview, released April 29, 2015.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows 10 Technical Preview, Windows 10 Technical Preview for Enterprise, Windows Server Technical Preview, Windows Datacenter Technical Preview, and Windows Hyper-V Server Technical Preview, released January 22, 2015.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows 10 Technical Preview, Windows 10 Technical Preview for Enterprise, Windows Server Technical Preview, Windows Datacenter Technical Preview, and Windows Hyper-V Server Technical Preview, released October 1, 2014.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows RT 8.1 ARM, Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2, released October 17, 2013.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows 8.1 Preview and Windows Server 2012 R2 Preview, released June 26, 2013.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, released August 15, 2012.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows 8 Release Preview and Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate, released May 31, 2012.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug the Windows 8 Consumer Preview and the Windows Server 8 Beta, released February 29, 2012.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug the Windows Developer Preview and the Windows Server Developer Preview released at the BUILD conference, September 13, 2011.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug the Windows 7 Service Pack 1.
Note: These packages also contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug the Windows 7 RTM.
Note: These packages also contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC).
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows 7 Beta.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows Server 2008 with Service Pack 2.
Note: These packages also contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows Vista SP2.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows Server 2008 RTM.
Note: These packages also contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows Vista SP1 RTM.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows Vista SP2.
Note: These packages also contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows Server 2008 SP2.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows Vista SP1 RTM.
Note: These packages also contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows Server 2008 RTM.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows Vista.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2. The symbols for Windows Server 2003 have been modified to match the updated files that are in the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2.
Note: The Windows Server 2003 SP2 x64-based symbols packages also apply to Windows XP x64 Edition.
These packages are a smaller download size than the full set of Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2 symbols. They contain only the symbols for the files that ship with the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2. If you already have the Windows Server 2003 symbols installed, you can install these to the same location and you will have a full set of Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2 symbols.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1. The symbols for Windows Server 2003 have been modified to match the updated files that are in the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1.
Note: The Windows Server 2003 SP1 x64-based symbols packages also apply to Windows XP x64 Edition.
These packages are a smaller download size than the full set of Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 symbols. They contain only the symbols for the files that ship with the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1. If you already have the Windows Server 2003 symbols installed, you can install these to the same location and you will have a full set of Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 symbols.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows XP with Service Pack 3. The symbols for Windows XP have been modified to match the updated files that are in the Windows XP Service Pack 3.
These packages are a smaller download size than the full set of Windows XP with Service Pack 3 symbols. They contain only the symbols for the files that ship with the Windows XP Service Pack 3. If you already have the Windows XP symbols installed, you can install these to the same location and you will have a full set of Windows XP with Service Pack 3 symbols.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows XP with Service Pack 2. The symbols for Windows XP have been modified to match the updated files that are in the Windows XP Service Pack 2.
These packages are a smaller download size than the full set of Windows XP with Service Pack 2 symbols. They contain only the symbols for the files that ship with the Windows XP Service Pack 2. If you already have the Windows XP symbols installed, you can install these to the same location and you will have a full set of Windows XP with Service Pack 2 symbols.
These packages contain the full set of symbols required to debug Windows XP with Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 1a applied. The symbols for Windows XP have been modified to match the updated files that are in the Windows XP Service Pack 1 and Service Pack 1a.
These packages are a smaller download size than the full set of Windows XP with Service Pack 1 and Service Pack 1a symbols. They contain only the symbols for the files that ship with the Windows XP Service Pack 1 and Service Pack 1a. If you already have the Windows XP symbols installed, you can install these to the same location and you will have a full set of Windows XP with Service Pack 1 and Service Pack 1a symbols.
