Use Microsoft kernel debuggers to examine a live system. LiveKD, a software I wrote for the CD included with Inside Windows 2000, 3rd Edition, is now freely available. LiveKD allows you to run the Kd and Windbg Microsoft kernel debuggers, which are part of the Debugging Tools for Windows package, locally on a live system. Execute all the debugger commands that work on crash dump files to look deep inside the system. See the Debugging Tools for Windows documentation and our book for information on how to explore a system with the kernel debuggers.

While the latest versions of Windbg and Kd have a similar ability on Windows XP and Server 2003, LiveKD enables more functionality, such as viewing thread stacks with the !thread command, than Windbg and Kds own live kernel debugging facility.
Usage: livekd [-w] [-d] [-k ] [debugger options]
-w Runs windbg instead of Kd (Kd is the default).
-d Runs Dumpchk exam instead of Kd (Kd is the default).
-k Specifices complete path and filename of debugger image to execute.

NOTE: The Microsoft debugger will complain that it can't find symbols for LIVEKDD.SYS. This is expected, since I have not made symbols for LIVEKDD.SYS available, and does not affect the behavior of the debugger.

The license of this software is Freeware, you can free download and free use this system utility software.