Inside Windows Debugging: Inside Windows Debugging_p1 (Developer Reference) 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

Since most of the core/kernel elements of Windows haven't changed since NT in the late 80's, most of the "new" stuff is in the form of API's. Soulami assumes a basic working knowledge of C/C++ or C#, but doesn't start at such a high level that you get lost in either the debugger or the tracer. This book is REALLY up to date on windows, and will catch you up even if you are still working on an NT base.

Chapters include: 1. How to develop software for Windows 2. Getting started (debugging for fun and profit section) 3. How debuggers work (pretty basic but very complete, covers both User and Kernel modes) 4. Postmortem Debugging (JIT vs. dump techniques. Goes much deeper than the day to day systems engineer will usually go) 5. Beyond the Basics (the real meat of the book-- awesome-- data vs. code breakpoints, scripts, etc.) 6. Code analysis tools (fair to C/++ and sharp, with many actual/not just pseudo/ code examples that are well thought out and RUN); 7. Expert Debugging Tricks (we finally get to the fun and profit piece-- many techniques that are effective but unusual, and probably wouldn't be attempted by the usual coder without this book's help on avoiding potholes); 8 and 9 are a whole collection of very cool "scenarios" covering all the NIGHTMARES created by threads and multiprocessors such as race conditions, deadlocks, stack/heap and access problems, etc. These two chapters are worth the price of the whole book; 10 gets into the console subsystem and concludes this section.

Section two (about 120 pages) switches themes with three chapters about Xperf. In short, if you try to run traces as you develop your software using just ETW (event tracing for Windows), you'll soon get overwhelmed and give it up. This means you're losing one of the best "secret sauces" of the Windows 7 SDK (a way to integrate what's already been perfected, instead of reinventing every wheel, with proven code connected with an already debugged ETW web). The way to tap into that secret sauce IS Xperf.

The two excellent appendices give user and kernel debug quick start examples that make this book as much as a reference and tutorial as a step by step learning guide.

Beyond debugging, there is a LOT of information on how to develop superior software USING the debugger, not for debugging, but for software analysis, code vs. operating system, security, and development cycle issues like static vs. runtime analysis. Any good or prospective windows developer will benefit from this wealth of info. This is over 500 pages PACKED with wisdom and experience, well worth the price as a career enhancer or builder.

A Programmers toolset is important, and what's more important is knowning how to use the toolset. Windows Debugging, and debugging in general was not something that I every learned in school. The windows Debugger is powerful but some complain there is a learning curve to it. The author takes you through very practical real world problems, with accompanying examples to teach the reader how to not only use Windows debugging tools mainly windbg, but also to teach the reader how to debug.

Overall excellent book, well worth adding to the library.

Great reference for windbg or great for people getting started in Reverse engineering. I would for sure suggest this for people new to this topic and veteran Reverse engineers for a reference.

very good tips. it is always good to have insider information from Microsoft.

This is a very good book.