diff --git a/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-debug-session.ts b/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-debug-session.ts
index 77f85ff0..87eba74a 100644
--- a/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-debug-session.ts
+++ b/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-debug-session.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { GDBBackend } from 'cdt-gdb-adapter/dist/GDBBackend';
 import * as mi from 'cdt-gdb-adapter/dist/mi';
 import { ArduinoGDBBackend } from './arduino-gdb-backend';
 import { ArduinoVariableHandler } from './arduino-variable-handler';
-import { Scope } from 'vscode-debugadapter';
+import { Scope, OutputEvent } from 'vscode-debugadapter';
 
 export interface ArduinoLaunchRequestArguments extends DebugProtocol.LaunchRequestArguments {
     arduinoCli?: string;
@@ -51,9 +51,25 @@ export class ArduinoDebugSession extends GDBDebugSession {
         }
     }
 
+    protected pauseRequest(response: DebugProtocol.PauseResponse, args: DebugProtocol.PauseArguments): Promise<void> {
+        if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+            const message = 'Pause is not supported on Windows. Please stop the debug session and set a breakpoint instead.';
+            this.sendEvent(new OutputEvent(message));
+            this.sendErrorResponse(response, 1, message);
+            return Promise.resolve();
+        }
+        return super.pauseRequest(response, args);
+    }
+
     protected async disconnectRequest(response: DebugProtocol.DisconnectResponse): Promise<void> {
         try {
             if (this.isRunning) {
+                if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+                    // We cannot pause on Windows
+                    this.arduinoBackend.kill();
+                    this.sendResponse(response);
+                    return;
+                }
                 // Need to pause first
                 const waitPromise = new Promise(resolve => this.waitPaused = resolve);
                 this.gdb.pause();
diff --git a/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-gdb-backend.ts b/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-gdb-backend.ts
index 16cf5be6..b1dd3fa5 100644
--- a/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-gdb-backend.ts
+++ b/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-gdb-backend.ts
@@ -57,4 +57,15 @@ export class ArduinoGDBBackend extends GDBBackend {
         return this.sendCommand('-target-detach');
     }
 
+    kill(): void {
+        if (!this.proc) {
+            return;
+        }
+        if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+            spawn('taskkill', ['/pid', this.proc.pid.toString(), '/f', '/t']);
+        } else {
+            this.proc.kill('SIGKILL');
+        }
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-parser.ts b/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-parser.ts
index 8f29b525..07767baf 100644
--- a/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-parser.ts
+++ b/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-parser.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import { ChildProcessWithoutNullStreams } from 'child_process';
 import { Readable } from 'stream';
 import { MIParser } from "cdt-gdb-adapter/dist/MIParser";
 
-const READY_TIMEOUT = 7000;
 const LINE_REGEX = /(.*)(\r?\n)/;
 
 export class ArduinoParser extends MIParser {
@@ -13,19 +12,13 @@ export class ArduinoParser extends MIParser {
         return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
             // Detect errors when the child process could not be spawned
             proc.on('error', reject);
-            // Detect hanging process (does not print command prompt or error)
-            const timeout = setTimeout(() => {
-                reject(new Error(`No response from gdb after ${READY_TIMEOUT} ms.`));
-            }, READY_TIMEOUT);
 
             this.waitReady = () => {
                 this.rejectReady = undefined;
-                clearTimeout(timeout);
                 resolve();
             }
             this.rejectReady = (error: Error) => {
                 this.waitReady = undefined;
-                clearTimeout(timeout);
                 reject(error);
             }
             // Detect unexpected termination