In a managed-code application, the binary code that the compiler produces is in Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL), which is platform-independent. Managed code is executed together with the Microsoft. For information about the distinction between the Windows debuggers and the Visual Studio debugger, see Windows Debugging.
The Windows debuggers are separate from the Visual Studio debugger. To debug managed code, you must load the SOS debugging extension (sos.dll) and a data access component (mscordacwks.dll). You can use the Windows debuggers (WinDbg, CDB, and NTSD) to debug target applications that contain managed code.
Debugging Managed Code Using the Windows Debugger
