Periodic Polling Causes Problems with Removable Media

• Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1

SYMPTOMS

Removable storage media (for example, CD Juke Box or tapes) may be damaged or get stuck in the drive or changer mechanism.

CAUSE

In Windows NT 3.1, the Server Service periodically polls all drives for available free space and logs an event if drive space is low.



On removable media drives, this polling can cause a conflict with the disk or cartridge drive/changer. If the changer is ejecting the cartridge when a periodic poll is received, the conflict may damage the tape or CD, or jam the tape cartridge or CD in the unit.

RESOLUTION

To correct this behavior Microsoft has modified the Windows NT Server Service (SRVSVC.DLL) to only poll fixed disks. Removable media, CD-ROMs, and RAM disks are not polled. The new Server Service no longer creates an x$ administrative share (where "x" is the media drive letter) for removable media drives.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1. This problem has been corrected in Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server version 3.5. This problem has also been corrected in the latest U.S. Service Pack for Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

   S E R V P A C K 

Additional query words: prodnt 3.10 robot optical

Keywords : ntnetserv NTSrvWkst
Version : 3.10
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :