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how-to-use-the-registers-window.md

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title View register values in the debugger
description View register values in the Registers window in Visual Studio. During debugging, register values change as code executes in your app.
ms.date 11/04/2025
ms.topic how-to
f1_keywords
vs.debug.registers
vs.debug.register.edit
vs.debug.registergroups
dev_langs
CSharp
VB
FSharp
C++
JScript
helpviewer_keywords
registers, debugging
register contents
flags, Registers window
register groups
debugging [Visual Studio], Registers window
Registers window
author mikejo5000
ms.author mikejo
ms.subservice debug-diagnostics

View register values in the Registers window (C#, C++, Visual Basic, F#)

The Registers window displays register contents during Visual Studio debugging. For a high-level introduction to concepts behind registers and the Registers window, see About the Registers Window.

During debugging, register values change as code executes in your app. Recently changed values appear in red in the Registers window. For info on the flags you see in the Registers window, see About the Registers window.

Note

Register information isn't available for script or SQL apps.

In C++ code, you can also edit register values. For more information, see Edit a register value.

Note

Dialog boxes and menu commands might differ depending on your Visual Studio edition or settings. To change your settings, select Import and Export Settings on the Visual Studio Tools menu. For more information, see Reset all settings.

View register values

:::moniker range="visualstudio"

  1. Open the Tools > Options pane and expand the All Settings > Debugging > General section. Select the Enable address-level debugging checkbox.

:::moniker-end :::moniker range="<=vs-2022"

  1. Open the Tools > Options dialog and expand the Debugging > General section. Select the Enable address-level debugging checkbox.

:::moniker-end

  1. While debugging or while paused at a breakpoint, select Debug > Windows > Registers, or press Alt+5.

    ::: moniker range=">=vs-2022" Screenshot of Registers Window. ::: moniker-end

Display and hide Register Groups (C#, C++, Visual Basic, F#)

To reduce clutter, the Registers window organizes registers into groups. If you right-click the Registers window, you see a shortcut menu containing these groups. In the following procedure, you can show or hide this menu.

Note

The dialogs and menu commands you see might differ from the UI described in Help depending on your active settings or edition. To change your settings, choose Import and Export Settings on the Tools menu. For more information, see Reset all settings.

To display or hide register groups:

  1. Right-click the Registers window.

  2. On the shortcut menu, select the register groups you want to show or hide.

    Register groups not supported by the hardware you're debugging on are disabled on the shortcut menu, so they can't be selected.

Edit a register value (C++)

For C++ code, you can edit a register value while paused in the debugger.

The Registers window is available only if address-level debugging is enabled in the Options dialog box, Debugging node.

To change the value of a register:

  1. In the Registers window, use the TAB key or the mouse to move the insertion point to the value you want to change. When you start to type, the cursor must be located in front of the value you want to overwrite.

  2. Type the new value.

    [!CAUTION] Changing register values (especially in the EIP and EBP registers) can affect program execution.

    [!CAUTION] Editing floating-point values can result in minor inaccuracies because of decimal-to-binary conversion of fractional components. Even a seemingly innocuous edit can result in changes to some of the least significant bits in a floating-point register.

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