What does Windows error code 693 (ERROR_DBG_CONTROL_C) mean?

ERROR_DBG_CONTROL_C

What ERROR_DBG_CONTROL_C means

The debugger received a Ctrl+C control event from the debugged console process. In practical terms, this status belongs to console debugging and control events: a console interrupt is delivered through the debugger before the application control handler processes it.

Typical causes

• A user pressed Ctrl+C in the console
• Automation sent a console control signal to stop work
• The debugger is configured to break on control events

How to investigate

1. Identify whether the event was first-chance and whether the application has a console handler
2. Check the debugger setting for breaking on Ctrl+C
3. Verify whether continuing the event lets the application perform graceful cancellation

Developer guidance

The event is not equivalent to process termination. The debugger can inspect it, pass it to the application, or suppress it according to the intended console semantics.

References

• Microsoft: System error codes 500–999