Err Msg: STOP 0x0000001e {0xc000005, 0xa1000aa7, 0x0, 0x00440194} in Win32k.sys

ID: Q224982

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 4.0, 4.0 SP4
Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 4.0, 4.0 SP4
Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition versions 4.0, 4.0 SP4

SYMPTOMS

When the process ID (PID) of any given process exceeds 65,535 bytes, Win32k.sys generates the following blue screen error message:

STOP 0x0000001e {0xc000005, 0xa1000aa7, 0x00000000, 0x00440194}

NOTE: The first parameter will always be 0xc0000005 and the second parameter will always fall within the memory range of Win32k.sys.

CAUSE

When a process terminates, Win32k.sys must release structures allocated by that process. Win32k.sys tracks these structures by PID number. The driver Win32k.sys only supports PID numbers less than 65,535 bytes.

This problem occurs because a program is not releasing thread handles. When a thread is created, a handle is allocated out of the system handle table as well as the process handle table. This system handle table is the same handle table process IDs come from. This can drive the process ID numbers greater than 65,000 bytes.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or the individual software update. For information on obtaining the latest service pack, please go to:

http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/ServicePacks/

Q152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

For information on obtaining the individual software update, contact Microsoft Product Support Services. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6.

MORE INFORMATION

After you install the hotfix, if you attempt to create a process with an ID greater than 64,000 bytes, the following pop-up error message is displayed and the process create does not work:

Initialization of the dynamic link library USER32.DLL failed. The process is terminating abnormally.

To find the process that is not releasing thread handles, use Performance Monitor to find a process with a high handle count.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbbug4.00 kbfix4.00
Version : winnt:4.0,4.0 SP4
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug