Dr. Watson Error When Starting Terminal Server Admin Utility

• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you start the Terminal Server Administration utility from the Start/Programs/Administrative Tools menu, a Dr. Watson Access Violation error in Tsadmin.exe is generated.

Example: (text from Drwatson.log file)

Application exception occurred:
App: exe\tsadmin.dbg
When: 8/3/1998 @ 9:35:15.733
Exception number: c0000005 (access violation)

CAUSE

The registry setting for the InstallDate was set to 0 (zero).

RESOLUTION

This problem can be resolved by editing the registry and changing the value for the InstallDate to a valid value.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys and Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).


To correctly configure the InstallDate, use the Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe) to edit the following registry key:

1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe) and locate the following registry subkey in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree:

   \SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\InstallDate




2. Select the InstallDate value and change it to a valid Hex Dword, representing an appropriate date and time, for example:
   
   
   • Sunday, January 01, 1995, 12:00:00 AM = 2f0636d0
   
   
   
   • Monday, January 01, 1996, 12:00:00 AM = 30e76a50
   
   
   



3. Use the registry entry value from another computer.



4. Write a small C program using ctime to calculate the exact value.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition version 4.0.

MORE INFORMATION

The installation of hotfixes on Terminal Server can also cause the Dr. Watson error because of the missing value of Installed On. Tsadmin.exe enumerates the Hotfix key to get the information regarding hotfixes installed on the system. The absence of the Installed On value can cause Dr. Watson errors, too.

Check the following information in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Hotfix\Q Article Number
Add Value: Installed On
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Data: 0x0

Additional query words: installdate tsadmin

Keywords :
Version : winnt:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug kbprb