FIX: Debugger Hangs with Huge Executable with Embedded Symbols

The information in this article applies to:

• The integrated debugger included with: Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Edition, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When debugging a large executable with embedded symbolic information (linked with /PDB:NONE), the debugger may hang (stop responding) before loading symbols.

RESOLUTION

Make the executable smaller by doing one of the following:

• Reduce the amount of embedded symbolic information. You can do this by:

  1. In Build Settings, select the files for which you do not need debug

        information, and set Debug info to None in the C/C++ tab, General
        category. For a command-line equivalent, compile these files without
        the /Zi or /Zd options.
  

  2. In Build Settings, select the files for which you only need line

        number information, and set Debug info to Line Numbers Only in the
        C/C++ tab, General category. For a command-line equivalent, compile
        these files with the /Zd instead of /Zi option.
  

  -or-

• Use a program database (.pdb) file instead of embedding the debugging information in the executable. On the Build Settings menu, click the Link tab, Click Customize category, and click Use program database. For a command-line equivalent, link the application with the /DEBUG and /PDB options. Only use the /PDB option if you want to specify the .pdb file name that will be created. Do not use /PDB:NONE.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Visual C++, 32-bit Edition, version 4.1.