Win32k.sys Causes STOP 0x0000001e and 0x0000000a on SMP (175687)

SYMPTOMS

Programs runing on multiprocessor computers that start and close GUIs frequently may cause either of the following STOP blue screen error messages to be displayed:

STOP 0x0000001e (0xc0000005, 0xa00f7538, 0x00000000, 0x00000008)
KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED

-or-

STOP 0x0000000a(0x00000004, 0x0000001c, 0x00000000, 0x801175db)
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

On some multiprocessor computers, programs with multiple threads that use the CreateProcess() or CreateProcessAsUser() API calls to start processes do not start because of desktop heap leaks. This inability to start results in a User32.dll or Kernel32.dll file initialization error when the desktop heap is exhausted.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because the thread object reference count breaks. The thread object reference count breaks because of a threadlockobject instruction within Win32k.sys that was not multiprocessor safe. This causes programs to quit abnormally. Because of the abnormal way in which the program quits, the desktop heap leaked until new processes could not be started. In some other instances, when a program quits abnormally, a blue screen error message may be displayed.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.