Breakpoints not hit when debug website project after update to VS 2015 Update 3

Question

I have a web project (DNN module) that I am developing and I recently updated to Visual Studio Professional 2015 Update 3.

I am using IIS 10 on a windows 10 PC

When I try to F5 / Debug my app I get the following warning on any breakpoints:

the breakpoint will not currently be hit. no symbols have been loaded for this document

What I have tried to fix this:

• I enabled directory browsing inside IIS 10
• I Run VS in admin mode / elevated permission
• Updated MS ASP.NET and Web Tools extension to latest version
• Updated MS ASP.NET Web Framework and tool extension to latest version
• cleared out and re-downloaded all debug symbols
• Clean and rebuilt in both release and debug mode
• Made sure modules runAllManagedModulesForAllRequests="true" is set in system.webserver of web.config
• Restart IIS / refresh application pools, and restart website
• using a different port for the website
• obviously restart computer / and visual studio

I am at a total loss and really need help. I can not figure out why my breakpoints are not being hit, when I debug the site no errors are thrown and the site runs fine.

Other Attempts:

From this SO thread I tried:

• Install Update for Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 Update 3 (KB3165756)

From This SO Thread I tried:

• disable "just my code" in debug general settings

From User suggestions:

• I have tried attaching directly to the w3wp.exe process - no breakpoints hit and visual studio crashes when I try to stop debugging. Also, as soon as I attach the debugger, the website stop workings all together

Question

Can someone help me figure out why my break points are not being hit when debugging from visual studio.

---

EDIT # 1: Additional attempts

1. When I debug my application and open the Debug -> Windows -> Modules window I do not see the name of my projects dll / pdb file in the list of Modules. I tried going to Debug -> Options -> Symbols and clicking the Load All Symbols button. I included a screen shot. My dll or project is named krisisShifts so the dll created in the obj/Debug folder is krisisShifts.dll and KrisisShifts.pdb etc. The blue mark on the image shows the dll is not listed in the loaded modules. Also I included the default attached process Visual studio is using to debug the site marked in Red.

2. I also deleted the site and application pool from IIS and recreated them with different names, site displays fine, but no breakpoints hit

---

EDIT 2: Attach to process now works

Not sure what I did. I have been fighting with this all day and afer restarting the computer and visual studio numerous times I can now attach to process w3wp.exe and the breakpoints are hit.

However hitting F5 still does not work. The site loads but no breakpoints are hit and I can see that my projects .dll is not added to the debug modules list (but it is when I attach to process).

I feel like I am closer but still can not figure out why my project .dll is not loaded in the debug modules when hitting f5.

Answer 1

Are you able to attach directly to the w3wp.exe process, and if so are your breakpoints hit then?

1. Menu > Debug > "Attach to process..."
2. Check "Show processes from all users"
3. Look for a process named "w3wp.exe", with the username "IIS APPPOOL\{IIS site name}"
4. Click "Attach"