I am receiving the following message while attempting to remote debug an application:

"The breakpoint will not currently be hit. No symbols have been loaded for this document."

I have successfully installed the remote debugging components on the server. I am able to attach to the remote process fine. My program is just waiting for a request in order to start executing, but it will not be able to do such since the debug symbols are not loaded on the remote server.

On my dev machine, I've located the debug symbols for my application in the C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Temporary ASP.NET Files\.... folder, but this still does not fix the problem.

Suggestions, please. Am I pulling the right debug symbol? How do I compile my app to output all the necessary runtime files including the correct pdb?

That path is where the code is currently being compiled and it already contains the pdb files...when i move these files to the remote server, I still get the "debug symbols not loaded" error message. My thoughts are that the pdb in this location was incomplete.

So....I downloaded the studio add-in to allow "add web deployment project". Now VS2005 outputs all my assemblies and pdb's just like in 2003, so I am confident I have the correct symbols. But, when I move them to the remote server - I still get the "debug symbols not loaded"!!!

The problem is not with the debug symbols. It must be some other setting. Any ideas? I can debug the same code locally no problem - what am I missing on the remote server?

Note: when i am setting up the remote debugger, I am using No Authentican (native only) and allowing any user to connect. From my localhost, I can attach fine, but can't step into the code since the debugging symbols are not loaded.

Yes, this is for a webservice.

I followed your advice and using web deployment project published the site to remote site directly using the compilation>output folder property. I double checked that all of the assemblies updated on the remote server along with the pdb files. Everything looks good. I also did browse to the site first as you recommended.

BUT...I am still getting the same error, "could not load symbols...." I wish these errors were more specific.

Very interesting suggestion and it may shed some light on the issue. On the remote server (in the modules window), I do not see my DLL in the list??? When I debug the app locally, however, I do see my dll in the list. Why is the dll not showing in the list? All my code/pdb's were deployed using web deployment project correctly to the remote server.

Any other suggestions? Please!

iisapp.vbs shows the following:

W3WP.exe PID: 2540 AppPoolId: DefaultAppPool

I am able to find this PID in my remote attach to list and when I attach to it, I still recieve the error that it cannot load debug files.

Following is information on this PID from the modules list:

w3wp.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\inetsrv\w3wp.exe N/A N/A No symbols loaded. 1 6.0.3790.1830 (srv03_sp1_rtm.050324-1447) 3/24/2005 8:31 PM 01000000-01005000 [2540] w3wp.exe: Native

note that no symbols are loaded. I am unclear of what options I should take to load these symbols properly. Is this c:\windows\... path referencing my client or the server?

I do see my dll in this module list, as follows:

ApplicationMessagingWS.DLL C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Temporary ASP.NET Files\applicationmessagingws\d12b383c\81865b9f\assembly\dl3\eefe4bf7\b8b19270_b6ebc601\ApplicationMessagingWS.DLL N/A N/A No native symbols in symbol file. 65 1.00.2473.18696 10/9/2006 6:23 AM 01E30000-01E38000* [2540] w3wp.exe: Native

There is a red circled ! mark next to it and specifies that no native symbols in symbol file. It also appears to be referencing my local machine as denoted by the c:\windows\ path. Once again, I would think this would be pointing to the server, not my client.

when i right click on this and select symbol load information isee this:

C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Temporary ASP.NET Files\applicationmessagingws\d12b383c\81865b9f\assembly\dl3\eefe4bf7\b8b19270_b6ebc601\ApplicationMessagingWS.pdb: Cannot find or open the PDB file.
\\vpmwshqs009\d$\ApplicationMessagingWS\bin\ApplicationMessagingWS.pdb: Symbols loaded.
No native symbols in symbol file.

Note: the vpmwshqs009 is the remote server name!

We may be zeroing in on the root problem.

The only way I've been able to view the remote processes is by going to the server and configuring the remote debug monitor with no authentication and allowing any user to debug. Then from the client, in the attach to process window, I select transport: remote and qualifier: [remotemachine:port]. By default the attach to is: native code. This lists the available processes on the remote CPU.

When I chose transport: default, qualifier: [remotemachine:port], and attach to: managed,native code and click refresh i receive the following error:

"unable to connect to the microsoft visual studio remote debug monitor named ...... Windows authentication is disabled in the remote debuggin montitor (MSVSMON). To connect, choose 1 of the following:

1. enable windows auth in MSVSMON

2. reconfigure your project to disable windows auth.

3. use the remote (native with no auth) transport in the 'attach to process' dialog."

As I noted, when I do #3 i can see the list of remote PID's.

Perhaps I go the route of setting up the remote debug monitor using authentication? The account I use to connect is an ADS admin account on this remote machine.

Thanks again for all your help.