When trying to load the debugging symbols for wmp.dll on Windows 8.1, symchk shows that they don't exist on the Microsoft symbol server (see below). I've also installed the Windows 8.1 x86 32-bit retail symbols, which contains symbols for all other WMP files (wmplayer, wmpeffects, wmpshell etc.), but not for wmp.dll.
I've also sent an email to the well-known windbgfb [at] microsoft [dot] com address but got no response. Is there any other way to ask Microsoft to make these symbols available?
BTW, my version of wmp.dll is 12.0.9600.17415, which I'm pretty sure is still the original version that came with Windows 8.1. No Windows Updates containing a newer version were installed.
C:\Program Files\Windows Kits\8.1\Debuggers\x86>symchk c:\Windows\System32\wmp.dll -v
[SYMCHK] Searching for symbols to c:\Windows\System32\wmp.dll in path SRV*C:\WIN
DOWS\SYMBOLS*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols
DBGHELP: Symbol Search Path: SRV*C:\WINDOWS\SYMBOLS*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols
[SYMCHK] Using search path "SRV*C:\WINDOWS\SYMBOLS*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols"
DBGHELP: No header for c:\Windows\System32\wmp.dll. Searching for image on disk
DBGHELP: c:\Windows\System32\wmp.dll - OK
SYMSRV: File: wmp.pdb
SYMSRV: Notifies the client application that a proxy has been detected.
SYMSRV: Connecting to the Server: http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols.
SYMSRV: Successfully connected to the Server.
SYMSRV: Sending the information request to the server.
SYMSRV: Successfully sent the information request to the server.
SYMSRV: Waiting for the server to respond to a request.
SYMSRV: Successfully received a response from the server.
SYMSRV: Closing the connection to the Server.
SYMSRV: Successfully closed the connection to the Server.
SYMSRV: Get File Path: /download/symbols/wmp.pdb/F3B83C13024549F7A128285E604D07082/wmp.pdb
SYMSRV: Notifies the client application that a proxy has been detected.
SYMSRV: Connecting to the Server: http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols.
SYMSRV: Successfully connected to the Server.
SYMSRV: Sending the information request to the server.
SYMSRV: Successfully sent the information request to the server.
SYMSRV: Waiting for the server to respond to a request.
SYMSRV: Successfully received a response from the server.
SYMSRV: Closing the connection to the Server.
SYMSRV: Successfully closed the connection to the Server.
SYMSRV: Notifies the client application that a proxy has been detected.
SYMSRV: Connecting to the Server: http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols.
SYMSRV: Successfully connected to the Server.
SYMSRV: Sending the information request to the server.
SYMSRV: Successfully sent the information request to the server.
SYMSRV: Waiting for the server to respond to a request.
SYMSRV: Successfully received a response from the server.
SYMSRV: Closing the connection to the Server.
SYMSRV: Successfully closed the connection to the Server.
SYMSRV: Get File Path: /download/symbols/wmp.pdb/F3B83C13024549F7A128285E604D07082/file.ptr
SYMSRV: Notifies the client application that a proxy has been detected.
SYMSRV: Connecting to the Server: http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols.
SYMSRV: Successfully connected to the Server.
SYMSRV: Sending the information request to the server.
SYMSRV: Successfully sent the information request to the server.
SYMSRV: Waiting for the server to respond to a request.
SYMSRV: Successfully received a response from the server.
SYMSRV: Closing the connection to the Server.
SYMSRV: Successfully closed the connection to the Server.
SYMSRV: C:\WINDOWS\SYMBOLS\wmp.pdb\F3B83C13024549F7A128285E604D07082\wmp.pdb not found
SYMSRV: http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols/wmp.pdb/F3B83C13024549F7A128
285E604D07082/wmp.pdb not found
DBGHELP: wmp - no symbols loaded
[SYMCHK] MODULE64 Info ----------------------
[SYMCHK] Struct size: 1680 bytes
[SYMCHK] Base: 0x10000000
[SYMCHK] Image size: 13377536 bytes
[SYMCHK] Date: 0x5450386d
[SYMCHK] Checksum: 0x00cc1977
[SYMCHK] NumSyms: 0
[SYMCHK] SymType: SymNone
[SYMCHK] ModName: wmp
[SYMCHK] ImageName: c:\Windows\System32\wmp.dll
[SYMCHK] LoadedImage: c:\Windows\System32\wmp.dll
[SYMCHK] PDB: ""
[SYMCHK] CV: RSDS
[SYMCHK] CV DWORD: 0x53445352
[SYMCHK] CV Data: wmp.pdb
[SYMCHK] PDB Sig: 0
[SYMCHK] PDB7 Sig: {F3B83C13-0245-49F7-A128-285E604D0708}
[SYMCHK] Age: 2
[SYMCHK] PDB Matched: TRUE
[SYMCHK] DBG Matched: TRUE
[SYMCHK] Line nubmers: FALSE
[SYMCHK] Global syms: FALSE
[SYMCHK] Type Info: FALSE
[SYMCHK] ------------------------------------
SymbolCheckVersion 0x00000002
Result 0x00010001
DbgFilename wmp.dbg
DbgTimeDateStamp 0x00000000
DbgSizeOfImage 0x00000000
DbgChecksum 0x00000000
PdbFilename wmp.pdb
PdbSignature {F3B83C13-0245-49F7-A128-285E604D0708}
PdbDbiAge 0x00000002
[SYMCHK] [ 0x00000000 - 0x00010001 ] Checked "c:\Windows\System32\wmp.dll"
SYMCHK: wmp.dll FAILED - wmp.pdb mismatched or not found
SYMCHK: FAILED files = 1
SYMCHK: PASSED + IGNORED files = 0
ok, I got an answer. My suspicion was right. Microsoft doesn't provide the PDB for WMP.dll because of DRM concerns. You have to fix your issue without PDBs.