Windows Diagnostics MCP Server

Windows Diagnostics MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides comprehensive Windows system diagnostic capabilities to AI agents. This server allows agents to access Windows event logs, crash information, system uptime, stability analysis, and Windows registry diagnostics.

Features

System Diagnostics

• System Diagnostics: Comprehensive analysis of Windows events, crashes, and system health
• BSOD Detection: Identifies Blue Screen of Death events and critical system errors
• Shutdown Analysis: Tracks expected and unexpected system shutdowns
• Application Crash Monitoring: Monitors application crashes and failures
• System Stability Scoring: Provides stability analysis with actionable recommendations
• Uptime Tracking: Reports system uptime and boot information

Registry Diagnostics

• Registry Search: Search the Windows registry by keyword
• Startup Program Analysis: Analyze startup programs for suspicious entries
• System Component Scanning: Scan services, drivers, and uninstall entries for issues
• Orphaned Entry Detection: Find orphaned registry entries pointing to non-existent files
• Registry Health Assessment: Overall registry health evaluation
• Security Risk Scanning: Scan for potential security risks in the registry

Installation

Prerequisites

• Windows 10/11 or Windows Server
• Node.js 18+
• PowerShell 5.1+ (built into Windows)
• Administrator privileges (recommended for full functionality)
• PowerShell execution policy configured to allow script execution

Setup Steps

1. Clone or download the files:
   mkdir windows-diagnostics-mcp cd windows-diagnostics-mcp
2. Save the TypeScript server code as src/index.ts
3. Create package.json with the provided configuration
4. Create tsconfig.json with the provided TypeScript configuration
5. Install dependencies:
   npm install
6. Configure PowerShell execution policy (if not already set):
   Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
   Or for system-wide access (requires Administrator):
   Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope LocalMachine
7. Build the server:
   npm run build

Configuration

For Claude Desktop

Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration file (%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json):

Important: For full functionality, run Claude Desktop as Administrator to ensure proper access to event logs and registry.

For Other MCP Clients

The server can be started with:

Available Tools

The MCP server provides the following tools that agents can use:

System Diagnostic Tools

1. get_system_diagnostics

Comprehensive system diagnostic report including all event types.

Parameters:

• daysBack (number, default: 7): Days to look back for events
• detailed (boolean, default: false): Include detailed event information

2. get_shutdown_events

Get shutdown and reboot events only.

Parameters:

• daysBack (number, default: 7): Days to look back for events

3. get_bsod_events

Get Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) events.

Parameters:

• daysBack (number, default: 7): Days to look back for events

4. get_system_uptime

Get current system uptime and boot information.

Parameters: None

5. analyze_system_stability

Analyze system stability and provide recommendations.

Parameters:

• daysBack (number, default: 30): Days to analyze for stability assessment

Registry Diagnostic Tools

6. search_registry

Search the Windows registry by keyword.

Parameters:

• searchTerm (string, required): Keyword to search for in the registry
• maxResults (number, default: 50): Maximum number of results to return

7. analyze_startup_programs

Analyze startup programs for suspicious entries.

Parameters: None

8. scan_system_components

Scan system components like services, drivers, and uninstall entries for issues.

Parameters: None

9. find_orphaned_entries

Find orphaned registry entries pointing to non-existent files.

Parameters: None

10. get_registry_health

Get an overall registry health assessment.

Parameters: None

11. scan_security_risks

Scan the registry for potential security risks.

Parameters: None

Usage Examples

Once configured with an MCP-compatible client, agents can use commands like:

System Diagnostics

• "Check my system for any crashes in the last week"
• "Analyze my Windows system stability"
• "Show me recent BSOD events"
• "What's my current system uptime?"
• "Give me a comprehensive diagnostic report"

Registry Diagnostics

• "Search the registry for entries related to 'Adobe'"
• "Analyze my startup programs for suspicious entries"
• "Check for orphaned registry entries"
• "Scan my registry for security risks"
• "Give me an overall registry health assessment"
• "Scan system components for issues"

Security Considerations

• Administrator Rights: Run with administrator privileges for complete event log and registry access
• PowerShell Execution: The server executes PowerShell scripts to gather system information
• Registry Access: Registry operations require appropriate permissions and can potentially impact system stability
• Local Only: This server only accesses local system information, no network requests
• Event Log Access: Requires appropriate permissions to read Windows Event Logs
• Execution Policy: PowerShell execution policy must allow script execution

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. PowerShell Execution Policy Error:
   cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system
   Solution: Configure PowerShell execution policy:
   Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
2. Access Denied Errors:
   • Run the MCP client (e.g., Claude Desktop) as Administrator
   • Some event logs and registry keys require elevated privileges
   • Check user account permissions
3. Registry Access Errors:
   • Ensure proper permissions for registry access
   • Some registry keys require SYSTEM-level access
   • Run as Administrator for full registry access
4. JSON Parse Errors:
   • Check that PowerShell is outputting valid JSON
   • Verify no additional output is being written to stdout
   • Check for PowerShell version compatibility
5. No Events Found:
   • Normal if system has been stable
   • Try increasing the daysBack parameter
   • Check if Event Log service is running
6. Script Execution Blocked:
   • Verify PowerShell execution policy settings
   • Check for antivirus software blocking script execution
   • Ensure PowerShell modules are not corrupted

Debugging

Enable debug logging by setting environment variable:

PowerShell Execution Policy Details

The server requires PowerShell scripts to execute. Common execution policies:

• Restricted: No scripts allowed (default on some systems)
• RemoteSigned: Local scripts allowed, downloaded scripts must be signed
• Unrestricted: All scripts allowed (not recommended)

Check current policy:

Recommended setting for this server:

Event Types Monitored

The server monitors these Windows Event Log entries:

System Events

• 1074: System shutdown initiated by user/application
• 1076: System shutdown reason recorded
• 6005: Event Log service started (boot)
• 6006: Event Log service stopped (shutdown)
• 6008: Unexpected shutdown detected
• 6009: System started
• 6013: System uptime reported

Critical Events

• 41: Kernel-Power critical error (unexpected shutdown)
• 1001: Windows Error Reporting BSOD
• 1003: System crash dump created

Application Events

• 1000: Application error/crash
• 1001: Application hang
• 1002: Application recovery

Hardware/Driver Events

• 219: Driver loading issues
• 7026: Service start failures
• 7000: Service start failures
• 7009: Service timeouts
• 7031: Service crashes

Registry Areas Analyzed

The registry diagnostic tools examine:

Startup Locations

• HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• Startup folder entries

System Components

• Installed services
• Device drivers
• Uninstall entries
• System file associations

Security-Relevant Keys

• Security policies
• User account settings
• Network configurations
• Browser settings

Output Format

The server provides structured information including:

• Event timestamps in ISO format
• Event descriptions in plain English
• Stability scoring (0-100 scale)
• Actionable recommendations
• System uptime statistics
• Memory dump information
• Hardware error summaries
• Registry key paths and values
• Security risk assessments
• File existence validation

Development

To modify or extend the server:

1. Edit source: Modify src/index.ts
2. Rebuild: Run npm run build
3. Test: Use MCP inspector or compatible client
4. Add tools: Follow the MCP SDK patterns for new diagnostic functions

Adding New Diagnostic Features

To add new diagnostic capabilities:

1. Extend the PowerShell script with additional event log queries or registry operations
2. Add new tool definitions in the ListToolsRequestSchema handler
3. Implement corresponding handler methods
4. Update the documentation
5. Test with appropriate permissions

PowerShell Script Guidelines

When adding new PowerShell functionality:

• Use ConvertTo-Json for structured output
• Handle errors gracefully with try-catch blocks
• Test with different execution policies
• Validate registry key existence before access
• Use appropriate PowerShell cmdlets for registry operations

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Please:

1. Follow TypeScript best practices
2. Test with Windows 10/11
3. Document new features
4. Ensure PowerShell compatibility
5. Test registry operations carefully
6. Include proper error handling

Changelog

v2.0.0

• Added comprehensive registry diagnostic tools
• Registry search functionality
• Startup program analysis
• System component scanning
• Orphaned entry detection
• Registry health assessment
• Security risk scanning
• Enhanced PowerShell execution policy documentation

v1.0.0

• Initial release
• Basic diagnostic capabilities
• MCP integration
• Stability analysis
• PowerShell backend