Debug-Process

Debugs one or more processes running on the local computer.

Syntax

Debug-Process [-Name] <string[]> [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]

Debug-Process [-Id] <Int32[]> [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]

Debug-Process -InputObject <Process[]> [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Debug-Process cmdlet attaches a debugger to one or more running processes on a local computer. You can specify the processes by their process name or process ID (PID), or you can pipe process objects to Debug-Process.

Debug-Process attaches the debugger that is currently registered for the process. Before using this cmdlet, verify that a debugger is downloaded and correctly configured.

Parameters

-Id <Int32[]>

Specifies the process IDs of the processes to be debugged. The parameter name ("-Id") is optional.

To find the process ID of a process, type "Get-Process".

Required?	true
Position?	1
Default Value	None
Accept Pipeline Input?	true (ByPropertyName)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-InputObject <Process[]>

Specifies the process objects that represent processes to be debugged. Enter a variable that contains the process objects or a command that gets the process objects, such as a Get-Process command. You can also pipe process objects to Debug-Process.

Required?	true
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	true (ByValue)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Name <string[]>

Specifies the names of the processes to be debugged. If there is more than one process with the same name, Debug-Process attaches a debugger to all processes with that name. The parameter name ("Name") is optional.

Required?	true
Position?	1
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	true (ByPropertyName)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Confirm

Prompts you for confirmation before executing the command.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-WhatIf

Describes what would happen if you executed the command without actually executing the command.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

<CommonParameters>

This cmdlet supports the common parameters: -Verbose, -Debug, -ErrorAction, -ErrorVariable, -OutBuffer, and -OutVariable. For more information, see about_CommonParameters.

Inputs and Outputs

The input type is the type of the objects that you can pipe to the cmdlet. The return type is the type of the objects that the cmdlet returns.

Inputs

System.Int32, System.Diagnostics.Process, System.String

You can pipe a process ID (Int32), a process object (System.Diagnostics.Process), or a process name (String) to Debug-Process.

Outputs

None

This cmdlet does not generate any output.

Notes

This cmdlet uses the AttachDebugger method of the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Win32_Process class. For more information about this method, see "AttachDebugger Method" in the MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) library at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=143640.

Example 1

C:\PS>debug-process -name powershell

This command attaches a debugger to the PowerShell process on the computer.

Example 2

C:\PS>debug-process -name sql*

This command attaches a debugger to all processes that have names that begin with "sql".

Example 3

C:\PS>debug-process winlogon, explorer, outlook

This command attaches a debugger to the Winlogon, Explorer, and Outlook processes.

Example 4

C:\PS>debug-process -id 1132, 2028

This command attaches a debugger to the processes that have process IDs 1132 and 2028.

Example 5

C:\PS>get-process powershell | debug-process

This command attaches a debugger to the PowerShell processes on the computer. It uses the Get-Process cmdlet to get the PowerShell processes on the computer, and it uses a pipeline operator (|) to send the processes to the Debug-Process cmdlet.

To specify a particular PowerShell process, use the ID parameter of Get-Process.

Example 6

C:\PS>$pid | debug-process

This command attaches a debugger to the current PowerShell processes on the computer. 

It uses the $pid automatic variable, which contains the process ID of the current PowerShell process. Then, it uses a pipeline operator (|) to send the process ID to the Debug-Process cmdlet.

For more information about the $pid automatic variable, see about_Automatic_Variables.

Example 7

C:\PS>get-process -computername Server01, Server02 -name MyApp | debug-process

This command attaches a debugger to the MyApp processes on the Server01 and Server02 computers.

It uses the Get-Process cmdlet to get the MyApp processes on the Server01 and Server02 computers. It uses a pipeline operator to send the processes to the Debug-Process cmdlet, which attaches the debuggers.

Example 8

C:\PS>$p = get-process powershell

C:\PS> debug-process -inputobject $p

This command attaches a debugger to the PowerShell processes on the local computer. 

The first command uses the Get-Process cmdlet to get the PowerShell processes on the computer. It saves the resulting process object in the $p variable.

The second command uses the InputObject parameter of Debug-Process to submit the process object in the $p variable to Debug-Process.