"STOP 0x000000D8 DRIVER_USED_EXCESSIVE_PTES" Error Message on Server with Heavy I/O Load (311551)

SYMPTOMS

On a server that experiences a heavy input/output (I/O) load, you may receive the following error message on a blue screen:

*** STOP 0x000000D8 DRIVER_USED_EXCESSIVE_PTES

NOTE: This problem is more likely to occur on heavily loaded Microsoft Exchange 2000 or Microsoft SQL Server systems or domain controllers with a large Active Directory.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because the Scsiport.sys driver causes a Fatal System Error 0x000000d8 when not enough Page Table Entries (PTEs) are available. System PTEs are significantly reduced when you use 4GT tuning (this is also known as the /3GB switch).

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

260910 How to Obtain the Latest Windows 2000 Service Pack

The English-language version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

   Date         Time   Version        Size    File name
   -------------------------------------------------------
   31-Oct-2001  00:46  5.0.2195.4567  73,168  Scsiport.sys

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, increase the number of available PTEs by removing the /3GB switch.

For additional information, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

291988 A Description of the 4 GB RAM Tuning Feature and the Physical Address Extension Switch

171793 Information on Application Use of 4GT RAM Tuning

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in Windows 2000 Service Pack 3.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about how to obtain a hotfix for Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

265173 The Datacenter Program and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server Product

For additional information about how to install multiple hotfixes with only one reboot, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

296861 Use QChain.exe to Install Multiple Hotfixes with Only One Reboot

For additional information about how to install Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 hotfixes at the same time, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

249149 Installing Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 Hotfixes