Remote Debugging a C++ Project in Visual Studio

To debug a Visual Studio application on a different computer, install and run the remote tools on the computer where you will deploy your app, configure your project to connect to the remote computer from Visual Studio, and then deploy and run your app.

For information about remote debugging Universal Windows Apps (UWP), see Debug an Installed App Package.

Requirements

The remote debugger is supported on Windows 7 and newer and versions of Windows Server starting with Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2. For a complete list of requirements, see Requirements.

Download and Install the remote tools

On the remote device or server that you want to debug on, rather than the Visual Studio machine, download and install the correct version of the remote tools from the links in the following table.

• Download the most recent remote tools for your version of Visual Studio. The latest remote tools version is compatible with earlier Visual Studio versions, but earlier remote tools versions aren't compatible with later Visual Studio versions. (For example, if you're using Visual Studio 2019, download the latest update of the remote tools for Visual Studio 2019. In this scenario, don't download the remote tools for Visual Studio 2022.)
• Download the remote tools with the same architecture as the machine you're installing them on. For example, if you want to debug a 32-bit app on a remote computer running a 64-bit operating system, install the 64-bit remote tools.
• If you're remote debugging an ARM64EC application on an ARM64 device, install the ARM64 remote tools, and then launch the x64 remote debugger that gets installed with those tools. This can be found under: Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio<version>\Common7\IDE\Remote Debugger\x64.

You can run the remote debugger by copying msvsmon.exe to the remote computer, rather than installing the remote tools. However, the Remote Debugger Configuration Wizard (rdbgwiz.exe) is available only when you install the remote tools. You may need to use the wizard for configuration if you want to run the remote debugger as a service. For more information, see (Optional) Configure the remote debugger as a service.

Set up the remote debugger

1. On the remote computer, find and start the Remote Debugger from the Start menu.

   If you don't have administrative permissions on the remote computer, right-click the Remote Debugger app and select Run as administrator. Otherwise, just start it normally.

   If you are planning to attach to a process which is running as an administrator, or is running under a different user account (such as IIS), right-click the Remote Debugger app and select Run as administrator. For more information, see Run the remote debugger as an administrator.

2. The first time you start the remote debugger (or before you have configured it), the Remote Debugging Configuration wizard appears.

   In most scenarios, choose Next until you get to the Configure the Windows Firewall page of the wizard.

   

   

   If the Windows Web Services API is not installed, which happens only on Windows Server 2008 R2, select the Install button.

3. Select at least one network type you want to use the remote tools on. If the computers are connected through a domain, you must choose the first item. If the computers are connected through a workgroup or homegroup, choose the second or third item as appropriate.

   Next, select Finish to start the remote debugger.

   Next, select Configure remote debugging to start the remote debugger.

4. When configuration is complete, the Remote Debugger window appears.

   

   

   The remote debugger is now waiting for a connection. Use the server name and port number shown to set the remote connection configuration in Visual Studio.

To stop the remote debugger, select File > Exit. You can restart it from the Start menu, or from the command line:

<Remote debugger installation directory>\msvsmon.exe

Remote debug a C++ project

In the following procedure, the path of the project is C:\remotetemp, and the name of the remote computer is MySurface.

1. Create a C++ Console application named CppConsoleApp

2. Set a breakpoint somewhere in the application that is easily reached, for example in CppConsoleApp.cpp, in the main function.

3. In Solution Explorer, right-click on the project and select Properties. Open the Debugging tab.

4. Set the Debugger to launch to Remote Windows Debugger.

   

5. Make the following changes to the properties:

   Setting	Value
   Remote Command	C:\remotetemp\CppConsoleApp.exe
   Working Directory	C:\remotetemp
   Remote Server Name	MySurface:portnumber
   Connection	Remote with Windows Authentication
   Debugger Type	Native Only
   Deployment Directory	C:\remotetemp
   Additional Files to Deploy	$(ProjectDir)\data

   If you deploy additional folders, and want all the files in a folder deployed to the same folder, specify a folder name.

   For more information on the properties, see Project settings for a C++ Debug configuration.

6. In Solution Explorer, right-click the solution and choose Configuration Manager.

7. For the Debug configuration, select the Deploy check box.

   

8. Start debugging (Debug > Start Debugging, or F5).

9. The executable is automatically deployed to the remote computer.

10. If prompted, enter network credentials to connect to the remote machine.

    The required credentials are specific to your network's security configuration. For example, on a domain computer, you might choose a security certificate or enter your domain name and password. On a non-domain machine, you might enter the machine name and a valid user account name, like MySurface\name@something.com, along with the correct password.

11. On the Visual Studio computer, you should see that execution is stopped at the breakpoint.

    Tip

    Alternatively, you can deploy the files as a separate step. In the Solution Explorer, right-click the project node and then choose Deploy.

    If you have non-code files that are required by the application, you can specify them in a semicolon delimited list in Additional Files to Deploy on the Remote Windows Debugger page.

    Alternatively, you can include the files in your project, and set the Content property to Yes in the Properties page for each file. These files are copied to the Deployment Directory specified on the Remote Windows Debugger page. You can also change the Item Type to Copy File and specify additional properties there if you need the files to be copied to a subfolder of the Deployment Directory.

Set Up Debugging with Remote Symbols

You should be able to debug your code with the symbols you generate on the Visual Studio computer. The performance of the remote debugger is much better when you use local symbols.

If you must use remote symbols, you need to specify the remote symbols in Visual Studio by adding a Windows file share to the symbol search path in Tools > Options > Debugging > Symbols.

Related content

• Debugging in Visual Studio
• First look at the debugger
• Configure the Windows Firewall for Remote Debugging
• Remote Debugger Port Assignments
• Remote Debugging ASP.NET on a Remote IIS Computer
• Remote Debugging Errors and Troubleshooting