Snatrace Won't Start if "Background Thread" = "Below normal" (195987)

SYMPTOMS

The SNA Server trace tool (Snatrace.exe) allows you to configure the "Background Thread Priority," by selecting the "Tracing Global Properties" tab.

If the priority is set to "Below normal," it won't be possible to start the trace tool anymore.

CAUSE

This is due to an error in the code which treated the value for "Below normal" (0xffffffff) as an error when reading it from the registry. That error is preventing Snatrace.exe to display the trace property pages.

RESOLUTION

SNA Server 3.0

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for SNA Server version 3.0. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

184307 How to Obtain the Latest SNA Server Version 3.0 Service Pack

SNA Server 4.0

This problem was corrected in the latest SNA Server version 4.0 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining this Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

   S E R V P A C K

WORKAROUND

To allow the trace tool to start again, the user must reset the registry key HKLM\Software\Microsoft\SNA Server\Traces from "FFFFFFFF" to "00000000".

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SNA Server Versions 3.0, 3.0 SP1, 3.0 SP2, 4.0, and 4.0 SP1. This problem was first corrected in SNA Server3.0 Service Pack 4.