"Loading symbols" never ends...

Question

Hi,

  I have been working on a few projects which use the same dll file and they have been working fine too. Just now, when I run them in debug mode, they get stuck in the step of "loading symbol" for that dll and it never ends, and it is the same in all those projects. I tried to run a project not using the dll and it is fine.

  I searched for this issue and nothing helped. I checked according to some online suggestion, and:

- I do not have enviornment variable _NT_SYMBOL_PATH

- I have not set up any break points to those projects..

- In Menu > Option > Debugging > Symbols, in the list of symbol file location, there is one option "Microsoft symbol server" but it has been left unchecked, and nothing else.

  I use other source of the that dll file and the same happened... I think it is not a problem of the dll itself..

  Is there any ideas to solve it? Would it require any specific background program or services be running?

Raymond

Answer 1

You already tried to exclude symbols for dll from automatic loading?
 Specify excluded modules
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms241613.aspx
Any impact on debugging experience?

With kind regards

Answer 2

Thanks, and adding that dll to the exception list does let me through it. 

However I still have no ideas why such problem has come, while early this morning it did not happen... And also, I am able to compile it without adding the dll to the exception list on another computer...

Answer 3

'Symbol Load Information...' (Debug->Windows->Modules - right click respective module) - shows where Visual Studio looks for symbol file.
Probably there is some hint - after you try a manual loading - same menu 'Load Symbols' -  may work also partially, if you may be able to 'Cancel'  - provided it hangs infinitely and you get some dialog like here:

With kind regards