Defragmentation Application Hangs

• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

While running a defragmentation application on a volume that is formatted as FAT, the application can cease to respond (hang), along with other applications, and possibly the computer itself. No record of the hang will be logged. No entry will appear in the event logs, and a Dr. Watson error will not occur.

CAUSE

Running a defragmentation application while you actively open and close files forces Windows NT to enter a timing window. This timing window makes unsafe synchronization possible on the file being defragmented, and the system hangs as it waits for the error condition to be resolved. All defragmentation applications that use FSCTL_MOVE_FILE on FAT call are susceptible. This error is rare in occurrence.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT 4.0. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.

Additional query words: kbDSupport 4.00

Keywords : NT4SP4Fix kbbug4.00 kbfix4.00
Version : winnt:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug