Troubleshooting T-SQL Debugger Configuration Issues

Troubleshooting T-SQL Debugger Configuration Issues

T-SQL Debugger in SQL Complete and dbForge Studio for SQL Server depend on a properly configured environment and the required SQL Debugging components.

If the debugger does not start, cannot connect to SQL Server, or CheckDebugger reports missing or unregistered debugging components, use this guide to identify and resolve the issue.


Symptoms
One or more of the following issues may occur:
  1. T-SQL Debugger does not start.
  2. The debugger cannot connect to SQL Server.
  3. A debugger initialization error occurs.
  4. CheckDebugger reports that the SQL Debug Engine COM object is missing or not registered.
  5. CheckDebugger reports that ssdebugps.dll is missing.
  6. The Checking x32 register or Checking x64 register section does not have the CHECKED status.
  7. The 64-bit debugging components are registered, while the 32-bit SQL Debug Engine COM object is missing or not registered.
Before troubleshooting the issue, verify that the debugger has been configured according to the official documentation for your product.

The configuration guide covers the required client-side and server-side components, firewall exceptions, user permissions, database configuration, environment limitations, the presence of ssdebugps.dll, and SQL Debug Engine COM object registration.

The following operations must be performed using an administrator account:
  1. installing SSMS 2012 or SSMS 2014 components;
  2. running %windir%\SysWOW64\cmd.exe for manual registration;
  3. registering ssdebugps.dll;
  4. creating or modifying firewall rules, if required.
Running these operations without administrative privileges may prevent the components from being installed or registered correctly.

Info
SSMS 21 and Later
Starting with SSMS 21, the SQL Complete menu is not always added to the menu bar automatically. This behavior also applies to later versions, including SSMS 22.

If the SQL Complete or Debug menu is missing, add it manually by following the instructions in Debugger Overview.

This affects only the visibility of the SQL Complete and Debug menus. If the menus are available but the debugger still does not start or cannot connect to SQL Server, continue with the diagnostic steps below.

Verify the Debugger Configuration with CheckDebugger

Run CheckDebugger.exe and review the following sections:
  1. Checking x32 register
  2. Checking x64 register
Both sections should have the CHECKED status.

Also verify that:
  1. the path to ssdebugps.dll is detected;
  2. the SQL Debug Engine COM object is registered successfully;
  3. no missing or unregistered component errors are reported.
Info
Important

A successful CheckDebugger result confirms that the required debugging components are installed and registered correctly. However, it does not rule out other possible causes, such as insufficient user permissions, firewall, RPC/DCOM restrictions, security software, database configuration, or limitations of remote environments.

• If the x64 Component Is Registered but the x32 Component Is Not

If the 64-bit components are registered but the 32-bit SQL Debug Engine COM object is missing or does not have the CHECKED status, the debugger may not function correctly in SQL Complete or SSMS.

This usually occurs when the component was registered from the standard Command Prompt, which runs in the 64-bit context.

To register the 32-bit component, use: %windir%\SysWOW64\cmd.exe

Run the command prompt as an administrator.

Using the default cmd.exe from the System32 directory registers components only in the 64-bit context. As a result, the 32-bit SQL Debug Engine remains unavailable.

After completing the registration, run CheckDebugger again and verify that Checking x32 register has the CHECKED status.


• If ssdebugps.dll Is Missing

If CheckDebugger reports that ssdebugps.dll is missing, registering the component manually is not sufficient because the required file is not present on the system.

Install the legacy SQL Debugging components described below, then run CheckDebugger again and verify that both x32 and x64 components have the CHECKED status.


• If the SQL Debug Engine COM Object Is Missing or Not Registered

If CheckDebugger reports that the SQL Debug Engine COM object is missing or not registered, the most common causes are:
  1. the required SQL Debugging components are not installed;
  2. the components were registered only in the 64-bit context;
  3. the 32-bit version of ssdebugps.dll is missing;
  4. only recent versions of SSMS or Visual Studio are installed, without the legacy SQL Debugging components required for T-SQL debugging.
In this case, install the required SQL Debugging components.


Install the Required SQL Debugging Components

Installing SSMS 2012 or SSMS 2014 is usually sufficient because these versions include the required SQL Debugging components.
  1. Download the SSMS 2012 installer (SQLManagementStudio_x64_ENU.exe).
  2. Run the installer as an administrator.
  3. Select New SQL Server stand-alone installation or add features to an existing installation.
  4. On the Feature Selection page, enable:
    1. Management Tools – Complete
    2. Management Tools – Basic
    3. Client Tools Connectivity
    4. Client Tools SDK
    5. Client Tools Backwards Compatibility
    6. SQL Client Connectivity SDK
  5. Complete the installation.
  6. Run CheckDebugger.exe again.
  7. Verify that:
    1. both x32 and x64 components have the CHECKED status;
    2. the path to ssdebugps.dll is detected;
    3. the SQL Debug Engine COM object is registered successfully.
The expected file locations are typically:
  1. x32: C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\SQL Debugging\ssdebugps.dll
  2. x64: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\SQL Debugging\130\ssdebugps.dll
The exact paths may vary depending on the installed Microsoft components and their versions.


If CheckDebugger Completes Successfully but the Issue Persists

If CheckDebugger confirms that all required components are installed and registered correctly, but the debugger still does not start or connect to SQL Server, review the requirements described in Configure the Debugger.

Pay particular attention to:
  1. user permissions;
  2. database mode;
  3. firewall exceptions;
  4. RPC/DCOM communication;
  5. security software;
  6. remote connection restrictions.

Contact Support

If the issue persists after completing all troubleshooting steps, provide the following information to Devart Support:
  1. System Info from the product.
  2. The complete CheckDebugger output or a screenshot showing both:
    1. Checking x32 register
    2. Checking x64 register
  3. A brief description of the issue.
  4. The complete error message or a screenshot.
  5. Whether SQL Server is local or remote.
  6. Information about VPN, firewall, antivirus, endpoint protection, security software, or network restrictions between the client machine and SQL Server.
  7. Confirmation that the steps from the Configure the Debugger documentation have been completed.
The provided information helps determine whether the issue is related to missing SQL Debugging components, COM object registration, user permissions, database configuration, or network and RPC/DCOM restrictions.

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