Incorrect Service Pack Level Displayed After Applying Hotfix

ID: Q222507

The information in this article applies to:

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

SYMPTOMS

Some hotfixes may place an incorrect service pack version number in the registry. The service pack version number is normally stored in the following REG_SZ value:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\CSDVersion

The CSDVersion value typically has a data value of "Service Pack X," where X is the service pack version number. Some post-SP3 hotfixes may replace this with a string such as "Service Pack 3 RC 1.32" or post-SP4 hotfixes may replace this with a string such as "Service Pack 4 RC 1.2."

Reinstallation of the same level of the service pack may not resolve the problem.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if a hotfix is built without setting the appropriate compiler directives to embed the correct version number in the resulting binary file. Because Ntoskrnl populates the CSDVersion value during boot with this embedded information, the incorrect value is displayed.

The presence of the incorrect version string does not mean that the service pack is installed improperly, or that a component has been replaced with an earlier version.

To verify that the hotfixed component is in place, check the last modified date and time of the fixed component in your installation with the last modified date and time of the same file in the last service pack applied, or of the same file in the hotfix installation folder.

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

MORE INFORMATION

This problem was first noted with the hotfixes described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

Q180648 Windows NT 4.0 Traps with a Stop 0x24 or Stop 0xA

Q197632 Registry Hive Fragmentation Leads to Excessive Size

Additional query words:

Keywords : ntsp kbbug4.00
Version : winnt:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbprb