---
title: "Debug Information Files"
description: "Learn about how debug information files allow Sentry to extract stack traces and provide more information about crash reports for most compiled platforms."
url: https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/
---

# Debug Information Files | Sentry for WinUI

Debug information files allow Sentry to extract stack traces and provide more information about crash reports for most compiled platforms. Information stored in debug files includes original function names, paths to source files and line numbers, source code context, or the placement of variables in memory. Sentry can use some of this information and display it on the issue details page.

Each major platform uses different debug information files. We currently support the following formats:

* [*dSYM files*](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/file-formats.md#mach-o-and-dsym) for iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, macOS, and visionOS
* [*ELF symbols*](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/file-formats.md#executable-and-linkable-format-elf) for Linux and Android (NDK)
* [*PDB files*](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/file-formats.md#pe-and-pdb) for Windows and .NET
* [*Breakpad symbols*](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/file-formats.md#breakpad-symbols) for all platforms
* [*WASM files*](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/file-formats.md#wasm) for WebAssembly
* [*ProGuard mappings*](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/file-formats.md#proguard-mappings) for Java and Android

Source maps, while also being debug information files, are handled differently in Sentry. For more information see [Source Maps in sentry-cli](https://docs.sentry.io/cli/releases.md#sentry-cli-sourcemaps).

Sentry requires access to debug information files of your application as well as system libraries to provide fully symbolicated crash reports. You can either [upload](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/upload.md) your files to Sentry or put them on a compatible [Symbol Server](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/symbol-servers.md) to be downloaded by Sentry when needed.

## [Managing Debug Information Files](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files.md#managing-debug-information-files)

After they have been uploaded, debug information files can be viewed and managed from the *Debug Files* section in the associated project's settings page. That page lists all uploaded debug files, and also allows you to configure symbol servers for automatic downloads.

From the [Project Details](https://docs.sentry.io/product/projects/project-details.md) page, click into settings, then click on *Debug Files* in the page navigation.

ProGuard files are listed separately, in the *ProGuard* section of the project settings page.

## [Retention Policy](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files.md#retention-policy)

Debug Files have a retention period of *90 days*, using a *time to idle* expiration mechanism. This means that uploaded debug files are retained for as long as they are actively being used for event processing. Once a debug file has not been used to process incoming events for at least 90 days, it will automatically expire and be eligible for deletion.

## [Learn More](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files.md#learn-more)

* #### [Debug File Formats](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/file-formats.md)

  Learn about platform-specific file formats and the debug information they contain.

* #### [Debug Identifiers](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/identifiers.md)

  Learn about build tooling requirements that allow Sentry to uniquely identify debug information files across builds.

* #### [Uploading Files](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/upload.md)

  Learn about uploading debug information files to Sentry.

* #### [Symbol Servers](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/symbol-servers.md)

  Learn about symbol servers and how to configure them with your Sentry projects.

* #### [Source Context](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/source-context.md)

  Learn about setting up source bundles to show source code in stack traces on the Issue Details page.

## Pages in this section

- [Debug File Formats](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/file-formats.md)
- [Debug Identifiers](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/identifiers.md)
- [Uploading Files](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/upload.md)
- [Symbol Servers](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/symbol-servers.md)
- [Source Context](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/dotnet/guides/winui/data-management/debug-files/source-context.md)