Exception Handling for Debugging

When an exception occurs in a process that is being debugged, the kernel notifies the debugger by passing the exception to it. This is known as first-chance notification. The kernel then suspends all threads in the process being debugged.

If the debugger does not handle the exception, the kernel attempts to locate an appropriate exception handler. If the kernel cannot locate an appropriate one, the kernel again notifies the debugger that an exception has occurred. This is known as last-chance notification. If the debugger does not handle the exception after the last-chance notification, the kernel terminates the process being debugged.

For more information about exception handling, see Structured Exception Handling.