debugger-install

name	debugger-install
description	Install cdb.exe (Windows SDK Debugging Tools) for live process debugging. Use when the debugger skill reports cdb.exe is not found, or when you need cdb.exe and it's not installed. This is a one-time setup — once installed, cdb.exe persists across sessions.

Install cdb.exe (Windows Debugging Tools)

When to use

When debugger skill can't find cdb.exe at: /c/Program Files (x86)/Windows Kits/10/Debuggers/x64/cdb.exe

Installation steps

1. Download the SDK installer

curl -L -o /tmp/winsdksetup.exe "https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2272610"

2. Install only the debugging tools feature

powershell -c "Start-Process -FilePath '$(cygpath -w /tmp/winsdksetup.exe)' -ArgumentList '/features OptionId.WindowsDesktopDebuggers /quiet /norestart' -Wait"

3. Verify

ls "/c/Program Files (x86)/Windows Kits/10/Debuggers/x64/cdb.exe" && echo "SUCCESS"

What does NOT work (tested 2026-03-31)

• winget install Microsoft.WinDbg — installs the GUI Store app, NOT the CLI cdb.exe
• winget install Microsoft.WindowsSDK --override "/features OptionId.WindowsDesktopDebuggers" — --override is ignored
• lldb -p <PID> — crashes with error: unable to find 'python311.dll' (system has Python 3.13)

Result

After installation: C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Debuggers\x64\cdb.exe