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Q151997: DECMON Can Cause Spoolss to Generate an Access Violation

Article: Q151997
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 3.5,3.51
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 10-JUL-2002

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SYMPTOMS
========

The print service stops and a Dr. Watson Log is created. Upon further review of
the Dr. Watson log (Drwtsn32.log) you may find:

  Application exception occurred:

          App: spoolss.DBG (pid=87)
          When: 5/9/1996 @ 16:38:2.449
          Exception number: c0000005 (access violation)

CAUSE
=====

DECMON.DLL causes Spoolss to generate an Access Violation error. Spoolss uses
many DLLs to communicate with printers, so any of those *.dll files can contain
a problem.

To find where the error was in the case of Decmon.dll, search for the keyword
FAULT in the following stack back trace:

 function: wvsprintfW
         77eb3ea2 83c602           add     esi,0x2
         77eb3ea5 85c9             test    ecx,ecx
         77eb3ea7 0f8e7b04ffff     jle     wvsprintfW+0xb2 (77ea4328)
         77eb3ead ebdf             jmp     wvsprintfW+0x1c3 (77eb3e8e)
         77eb3eaf 8345ec04         add   dword ptr [ebp-0x14],0x4
 ss:00a7e08e=????????
         77eb3eb3 8b45ec           mov     eax,[ebp-0x14]
 ss:00a7e08e=????????
         77eb3eb6 b9ffffffff       mov     ecx,0xffffffff
         77eb3ebb 8b50fc           mov     edx,[eax-0x4]
 ds:0046e922=????????
         77eb3ebe 2bc0             sub     eax,eax
         77eb3ec0 8bfa             mov     edi,edx
 FAULT ->77eb3ec2 f2ae             repne   scasb
 es:001a0000=??
         77eb3ec4 f7d1             not     ecx
         77eb3ec6 49               dec     ecx
         77eb3ec7 837df000         cmp   dword ptr [ebp-0x10],0x0
 ss:00a7e08e=????????
         77eb3ecb 894df4           mov     [ebp-0xc],ecx
 ss:00a7e08e=????????
         77eb3ece 7c0a             jl      wvsprintfW+0x20f (77eb3eda)
         77eb3ed0 8b45f0           mov     eax,[ebp-0x10]
 ss:00a7e08e=????????
         77eb3ed3 3bc1             cmp     eax,ecx
         77eb3ed5 7d03             jge     wvsprintfW+0x20f (77eb3eda)
         77eb3ed7 8945f4           mov     [ebp-0xc],eax
 ss:00a7e08e=????????
         77eb3eda 8b45f4           mov     eax,[ebp-0xc]
 ss:00a7e08e=????????
         77eb3edd 2945f8           sub     [ebp-0x8],eax
 ss:00a7e08e=????????

 *----> Stack Back Trace <----*

 FramePtr ReturnAd Param#1  Param#2  Param#3  Param#4  Function Name
 0060f76c 775871a0 0060f780 7758cb38 0060ff5c 00650067 user32!wvsprintfW
 [omap]
 0060ff50 7756d0bf 7758cb0c 00000037 0019ffc4 01a42ab4 decpsmon!trace

MORE INFORMATION
================

In general, to find the fault and determine which *.dll causes the problems,
look in the STACK BACK TRACE under Function Name. To do that you must do the
following first:

1. Load the correct debug files, called SYMBOL files, to the directory where
  Windows NT is installed (that is, \Winnt\Symbols). Symbol files are found on
  the Windows NT compact disc under \Support\Debug\<your platform, for
  example I386>\Symbols.

2. Copy this directory to your Windows NT directory. If you have any Service
  Packs installed you will need the symbols for that Service Pack also. Symbols
  for Service Packs are included on the compact disc.

RESOLUTION
==========

To resolve this problem, install the fix mentioned below.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.51. This
problem was corrected in the latest Windows NT 3.51 U.S. Service Pack. For
information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

  S E R V P A C K


Additional query words: prodnt 3.50 3.51

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNT351search kbWinNT350search kbWinNTW350 kbWinNTW350search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS350 kbWinNTS351search kbWinNTS350search
Version           : :3.5,3.51

=============================================================================

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