CrashOnAuditFail with Logon/Logoff Auditing Causes Blue Screen (178208)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Terminal Server Edition
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0

This article was previously published under Q178208

SYMPTOMS

When you shut down your computer, the computer may stop responding (hang), and you may receive the following error message on a blue screen:
STOP 0xC0000244
An attempt to generate a security audit failed
This behavior may occur even if the audit log is not full.

CAUSE

Windows NT attempts to report a logoff audit in the event log after the event log has shut down. As this audit attempt fails and CrashOnAuditFail is enabled, the system displays a blue screen error message that reports an audit failure.

RESOLUTION

You can work around this problem by disabling logon/logoff auditing.

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.

MORE INFORMATION

In some instances, the server may not bugcheck, but may instead run very slowly after administrator logon. The system may also report continuous RPC errors after logon. Non-administrators will not be able to log on as a result of the CrashOnAuditFail key being set to 0x1.

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:9/23/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbfix kbprb KB178208