CTRL+K (Change Post-Reboot Break State)

The CTRL+K key changes the conditions on which the debugger will automatically break into the target computer.

KD Syntax

CTRL+K  ENTER 

WinDbg Syntax

CTRL+ALT+K 

Environment

Debuggers

KD and WinDbg only

Modes

kernel mode only

Targets

live debugging only

Platforms

all

Additional Information

For an overview of related commands and an explanation of how the reboot process affects the debugger, see Crashing and Rebooting the Target Computer.

Remarks

This control key causes the kernel debugger to cycle through the following three states:

No break
In this state, the debugger will not break into the target computer unless you press CTRL+C.

Break on reboot
In this state, the debugger will break into a rebooted target computer after the kernel initializes. This is equivalent to starting KD or WinDbg with the -bcommand-line option.

Break on first module load
In this state, the debugger will break into a rebooted target computer after the first kernel module is loaded. (This will cause the break to occur earlier than in the Break on reboot option.) This is equivalent to starting KD or WinDbg with the -dcommand-line option.

When CTRL+K is used, the new break state is displayed.

In WinDbg, this can also be accomplished by selecting Debug | Kernel Connection | Cycle Initial Break.