{"id":80484,"date":"2026-03-15T12:36:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T07:06:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/?p=80484"},"modified":"2026-03-16T12:24:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T06:54:34","slug":"why-msdt-exe-ask-for-passkey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/why-msdt-exe-ask-for-passkey\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool (msdt.exe) asks for a Passkey"},"content":{"rendered":"

MSDT stands for Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool. This tool was previously used by Microsoft technical support to analyze diagnostic data for troubleshooting remotely. MSDT.exe can also run built-in troubleshooters, such as the Audio troubleshooter and the Windows Update troubleshooter.<\/p>\n

\"msdt.exe<\/p>\n

Why does msdt.exe ask for a Passkey?<\/h2>\n

When you run msdt.exe without any command-line arguments, it asks for a passkey. If you’ve been asked by Microsoft support to run msdt.exe (i.e., without any command-line arguments), they must give you the passkey.<\/p>\n

Instead, if you want to run a troubleshooter, you need to run msdt.exe with the appropriate arguments. Or run the troubleshooter via Settings. Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters to run diagnostics without a passkey.<\/p>\n

MSDT is now deprecated<\/h2>\n

Due to a security vulnerability (CVE-2022-30190), the MSDT tool and the legacy troubleshooters are now deprecated. The inbox troubleshooters have now been moved to the “Get Help” platform.<\/p>\n

You can read more about it in this article \u2192 Deprecation of Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) and MSDT Troubleshooters<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

How to run the inbox troubleshooter?<\/h2>\n

Option 1: Using Settings<\/h3>\n

You can access the Get Help troubleshooters from Windows Settings:<\/p>\n

Click Start \u2192 Settings \u2192 System \u2192 Troubleshoot \u2192 Other Troubleshooters. Select the correct troubleshooter for your issue.<\/p>\n

\n

Option 2: Using the command-line<\/h3>\n

You can access the troubleshooters directly. Here are some commands that can be run from the Run dialog (Win + R).<\/p>\n

(Audio)\r\nms-contact-support:\/\/smc-to-emerald\/AudioTroubleshooter\r\n\r\n(BITS)\r\nms-contact-support:\/\/smc-to-emerald\/BITSTroubleshooter\r\n\r\n(Bluetooth)\r\nms-contact-support:\/\/smc-to-emerald\/BluetoothTroubleshooter\r\n\r\n(Camera)\r\nms-contact-support:\/\/smc-to-emerald\/CameraTroubleshooter\r\n\r\n(Network and Internet)\r\nms-contact-support:\/\/smc-to-emerald\/NetworkAndInternetTroubleshooter\r\n\r\n(Printer)\r\nms-contact-support:\/\/smc-to-emerald\/PrinterTroubleshooter\r\n\r\n(Program Compatibility)\r\nms-contact-support:\/\/smc-to-emerald\/ProgramCompatTroubleshooter\r\n\r\n(Video playback)\r\nms-contact-support:\/\/smc-to-emerald\/VideoPlaybackTroubleshooter\r\n\r\n(Windows Media Player)\r\nms-contact-support:\/\/smc-to-emerald\/WMPTroubleshooter\r\n\r\n(Windows Update)\r\nms-contact-support:\/\/smc-to-emerald\/WindowsUpdateTroubleshooter\r\nms-contact-support:\/\/Settings\/SettingsPageTroubleshootWindowsUpdate\r\n<\/pre>\n
\n
Alternatively, to run a troubleshooter in the Get Help platform, you can use this method.<\/p>\n
Press Win + R to open the Run dialog. Type ms-contact-support:\/\/<\/code> and click OK. This opens the Get Help window.<\/p>\n
In the text box provided, Type “Troubleshoot” and pick one of the troubleshooters appearing in the dropdown.<\/p>\n
\"Get<\/p>\n
(To run the Windows Update Troubleshooter, type Troubleshoot windows update<\/strong> and pick the appropriate entry in the dropdown.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Editor’s note:<\/strong><\/p>\n
If the ms-contact-support:<\/strong> protocol commands mentioned above throws the error This file does not have an app associated with it<\/em><\/strong>, you need to install the Get Help<\/a> app from the Microsoft Store.<\/p>\n
For more information, please see the article Other Troubleshooters: This file does not have an app associated with it<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MSDT stands for Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool. This tool was previously used by Microsoft technical support to analyze diagnostic data for troubleshooting remotely. MSDT.exe can also run built-in troubleshooters, such as the Audio troubleshooter and the Windows Update troubleshooter. Why does msdt.exe ask for a Passkey? When you run msdt.exe without any command-line arguments, it … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,869],"tags":[604],"class_list":["post-80484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-windows-10","category-windows-11","tag-troubleshooting"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":56942,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/troubleshooter-this-file-does-not-have-an-app-associated\/","url_meta":{"origin":80484,"position":0},"title":"Other Troubleshooters: This file does not have an app associated with it","author":"Ramesh","date":"June 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"When you open a troubleshooter from the Settings window in Windows 11, the following error may appear: ms-contact-support:\/\/settings\/SettingsPageTroubleshootAudio This file does not have an app associated with it for performing this action. Please install an app or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Apps Settings\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows 11"","block_context":{"text":"Windows 11","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-11\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"other troubleshooters - error file association","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/troubleshooter-error-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/troubleshooter-error-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/troubleshooter-error-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/troubleshooter-error-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19624,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/windows-update-error-0x8024a105-windows-10\/","url_meta":{"origin":80484,"position":1},"title":"[Fix] Windows Update Error 0x8024a105 in Windows 10","author":"Ramesh","date":"October 31, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"When you attempt to install Windows Updates, you may see this error message: There were some problems installing updates, but we'll try again later. If you keep seeing this and want to search the web or contact support for information, this may help: (0x8024a105) For some users, a full reboot\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows 10"","block_context":{"text":"Windows 10","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-10\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"windows update error 0x8024a105","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/0x8024a105.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/0x8024a105.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/0x8024a105.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/0x8024a105.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5474,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/another-app-controlling-your-sound-error-windows-10\/","url_meta":{"origin":80484,"position":2},"title":"Fix “Another App Is Controlling Your Sound At The Moment” Error in Windows 10","author":"Ramesh","date":"October 12, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you're receiving the following error message or similar when playing a audio or video file in your Groove app, Windows Media Player or the Movies & TV app in Windows 10?Can't play. Another app is controlling your sound at the moment. To listen here, close that app and try\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows 10"","block_context":{"text":"Windows 10","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-10\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"restart windows audio service","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/w10-audio-svc-restart.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/w10-audio-svc-restart.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/w10-audio-svc-restart.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5850,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/reset-rebuild-windows-search-index-fix-problems\/","url_meta":{"origin":80484,"position":3},"title":"How to Reset & Rebuild Windows Search Index Completely","author":"Ramesh","date":"November 2, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"When you search for files on your computer using Windows Search via File Explorer or Cortana, the files you expect to find may not appear in the search results. This happens even though the files exist on the computer. Another situation is that some phantom files appear in search results,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows"","block_context":{"text":"Windows","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"reset rebuild search using batch file","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/reset-rebuild-search-batch.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/reset-rebuild-search-batch.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/reset-rebuild-search-batch.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/reset-rebuild-search-batch.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6510,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/taskbar-volume-control-not-working-windows-10-sndvol\/","url_meta":{"origin":80484,"position":4},"title":"Taskbar Volume Control Icon does not Work in Windows 10\/11","author":"Ramesh","date":"August 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Sometimes, the Taskbar volume control icon in Windows may not respond to the mouse click. The slider doesn't appear when you click on the speaker icon, and nothing happens when you right-click on it. The audio may still work in all applications, but only the controls don't open. Due to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Utilities"","block_context":{"text":"Utilities","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/utilities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"volume control slider autohotkey","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/volume-osd.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/volume-osd.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/volume-osd.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":64667,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/error-occurred-troubleshooting-0x803c0107\/","url_meta":{"origin":80484,"position":5},"title":"An error occurred while troubleshooting – 0x803c0107","author":"Ramesh","date":"November 7, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"When you run a Microsoft Troubleshooter pack, the following error may occur: An error occurred while troubleshooting: A problem is preventing the troubleshooter from starting. Error code: 0x803C0107 Cause The error code\u00a00x803C0107 (\"SDIAG_E_TRUST\") means \"Trust validation of the diagnostic package failed.\" This happens if the scripted diagnostics group policy \"Configure\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows 10"","block_context":{"text":"Windows 10","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-10\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"0x803C0107-troubleshooter error","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0x803C0107-troubleshooter.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0x803C0107-troubleshooter.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0x803C0107-troubleshooter.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80484\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}