Terminal Server Hangs and Does Not Allow Network Connections (217063)

SYMPTOMS

Windows NT Server, Terminal Server Edition may stop responding (hang). Even though you may be able to ping the computer, you cannot perform a NET VIEW or make any connections to the it. At this point, you must turn off and then turn the computer back on (hard reset).

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for 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 Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.

MORE INFORMATION

To verify that you are experiencing this issue, a kernel debugger needs to be attached to the computer and you would need to look at the following to identify this issue:

   Dd ExWorkerQueue+10 l1	// flink pointer to Critical Queue
   Dl flink

The fourth dword should be the function. Generally, most systems are configured for about nine threads to work off the queue. So, if you see a block of greater than nine to the same function at the top of the queue, that is a good indicator that there is potentially a problem.

Run the system a little and see if the top nine addresses change at all. If not, trace through the functions and see if there is any way that the thread could block waiting on additional work to be done in the queue.

If so, and if a system runs fast enough (multiprocessor systems) to block all nine, you have a hung system that is running into this problem.