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Sven Scharmentke edited this page Oct 22, 2025 · 2 revisions

Install in Claude Desktop

Install and configure mcp-windbg for Claude Desktop application with Model Context Protocol support.

Claude Desktop Integration

Prerequisites

See Prerequisites Guide for complete setup including:

  • uv installation
  • Windows Debugging Tools (WinDbg/CDB)
  • Symbol server configuration

Installation with uvx

The recommended way to install mcp-windbg with Claude Desktop using uvx which handles installation automatically.

Configuration

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
	"mcpServers": {
		"mcp-windbg": {
			"command": "uvx",
			"args": [
				"--from",
				"git+https://github.com/svnscha/mcp-windbg",
				"mcp-windbg"
			],
			"env": {
				"_NT_SYMBOL_PATH": "SRV*C:\\Symbols*https://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols"
			}
		}
	}
}

Configuration File Location

The claude_desktop_config.json file is located at:

C:\Users\{YourUsername}\AppData\Roaming\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Example:

C:\Users\SvenScharmentke\AppData\Roaming\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Or use the environment variable:

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Advanced Configuration

Custom Symbol Paths

{
	"mcpServers": {
		"mcp-windbg": {
			"command": "uvx",
			"args": [
				"--from",
				"git+https://github.com/svnscha/mcp-windbg",
				"mcp-windbg"
			],
			"env": {
				"_NT_SYMBOL_PATH": "SRV*C:\\Symbols*https://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols;C:\\MyProject\\Symbols"
			}
		}
	}
}

Custom CDB Path

{
	"mcpServers": {
		"mcp-windbg": {
			"command": "uvx",
			"args": [
				"--from",
				"git+https://github.com/svnscha/mcp-windbg",
				"mcp-windbg",
				"--cdb-path",
				"C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Windows Kits\\10\\Debuggers\\x64\\cdb.exe"
			],
			"env": {
				"_NT_SYMBOL_PATH": "SRV*C:\\Symbols*https://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols"
			}
		}
	}
}

Verification

  1. Save your claude_desktop_config.json file
  2. Restart Claude Desktop completely
  3. Look for the mcp-windbg server in the server list (if visible)
  4. Test with: "List available crash dumps"
  5. Try: "Analyze crash dump at C:\dumps\crash.dmp"

Troubleshooting

uvx command not found:

Server not appearing:

  • Restart Claude Desktop completely
  • Check Claude Desktop logs for errors
  • Verify JSON syntax in claude_desktop_config.json
  • Test manual installation: uvx --from git+https://github.com/svnscha/mcp-windbg mcp-windbg --help

Symbol loading fails:

  • Check _NT_SYMBOL_PATH format
  • Ensure network access to Microsoft symbol servers
  • Test symbol path: set _NT_SYMBOL_PATH=... then run cdb.exe

Connection errors:

  • Verify WinDbg/CDB is installed and accessible
  • Check Windows permissions for debugging tools
  • Try custom --cdb-path if using non-standard installation

Reference

For more information about connecting local MCP servers to Claude Desktop, see: Model Context Protocol - Connect Local Servers

Next Steps

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