| Debugging Tools for Windows |
The !wmitrace.searchpath extension specifies the location of the trace message format files for messages in the trace buffers.
| Windows 2000 | wmitrace.dll |
| Windows XP and later | wmitrace.dll |
Trace message format files (*.tmf) contain instructions for formatting the binary trace messages that a trace provider generates.
The TMFPath parameter must be only a path to a directory; it cannot include a file name. The name of a TMF file is a message GUID followed by the .tmf extension. When the system formats a message, it reads the message GUID on the message and searches recursively for a TMF file whose name matches the message GUID, beginning in the specified directory.
Windows needs a TMF file in order to format the binary trace messages in a buffer. Use !wmitrace.searchpath or !wmitrace.tmffile to specify the TMF file before using !wmitrace.dynamicprint or !wmitrace.logdump to display trace buffer contents.
If you do not use either !wmitrace.searchpath or !wmitrace.tmffile, the system uses the value of the TRACE_FORMAT_SEARCH_PATH environment variable. If that variable is not present, it uses the default.tmf file, which is included in Windows. If the system cannot find any formatting information for a trace message, it writes a "No format information found" error message in place of the trace message content.
For a conceptual overview of event tracing, see the Microsoft Windows SDK. For information about trace message format files, see the "Trace Message Format Files" topic in the Windows Driver Kit (WDK).