Logging off or restarting the computer after switching users may cause Windows XP to stop responding (872789)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you use the Fast User Switching feature in Microsoft Windows XP, you may experience one of the following symptoms:
  • If you switch to a different user and then log off as that user, a blank screen with a blinking cursor is displayed and Windows XP stops responding.
  • When you try to restart the computer, the "System is shutting down" screen is displayed and Windows XP stops responding.

CAUSE

This problem may occur if the keyboard layout is corrupted when it is freed from memory.

RESOLUTION

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Only apply it to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Windows XP service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

Prerequisites

To install this hotfix, you must first install Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).

For additional information about how to obtain Windows XP SP2, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322389 How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack

Restart information

You must restart your computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace any other hotfixes.

Hotfix file information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel. 
   Date         Time   Version             Size  File name
   --------------------------------------------------------
   19-Aug-2004  16:09  5.1.2600.2507  1,835,776  Win32k.sys

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

824684 Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:6/1/2006
Keywords:kbQFE kbHotfixServer kbWinXPpreSP3fix kbfix kbbug KB872789 kbAudEndUser
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.