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ERROR_WAKE_SYSTEM_DEBUGGER
What ERROR_WAKE_SYSTEM_DEBUGGER means
This is an informational control-flow status, not proof that an application failed. It records that the system debugger became active because of a debugger break request or configured interrupt.
Where it appears
- kernel debugging over network, USB, serial, or virtual transport
- manual break-in during driver investigation
- automated diagnostics that intentionally interrupt the target
Likely causes
- an operator issued a debugger break
- a configured debug key sequence or NMI occurred
- a test harness deliberately stopped the kernel
- platform management hardware generated the configured interrupt
Evidence to collect
- debugger transcript and timestamp
- boot configuration showing whether kernel debugging is enabled
- the source of the break request
- system activity immediately before the debugger became active
How to respond
Resume execution when the break was intentional. If the machine unexpectedly enters the debugger, identify who enabled debugging and what generated the interrupt; do not treat this informational status as a retryable application error.
Diagnostic interpretation
For this particular status, the decisive evidence is debugger transcript and timestamp, boot configuration showing whether kernel debugging is enabled. Those details separate the documented condition from unrelated failures that happen to occur nearby.
Record the numeric code together with the symbolic name ERROR_WAKE_SYSTEM_DEBUGGER, the API or subsystem that produced it, and the first preceding failure. A later cleanup occurrence may describe a consequence instead of the initiating defect.
Example
A diagnostic trace records this result after an operation changes subsystem state. The result investigation should follow the first state-changing call, validate its resulting state, and classify later cleanup messages as secondary evidence.
Implementation guidance
Code handling this result should distinguish a terminal failure from a warning, progress indication, or request to repeat after a defined state change. When handling it, preserve handles and output fields only where the originating API explicitly keeps them valid. The path needs bounded retries and cleanup that tolerates partial initialization.
Validation after remediation
Repeat one controlled operation that previously produced this result. Verify both disappearance of the status and completion of the specific state transition described above. Adjacent messages around it must also be reviewed so a fallback is not mistaken for a complete repair.
References
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