KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q165816: STOP 0x0000000A in HAL.DLL on Multiprocessor Computers

Article: Q165816
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): winnt:4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbbuglist kbfixlist
Last Modified: 09-AUG-2001

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

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SYMPTOMS
========

When you run Windows NT on a multiprocessor computer under heavy stress, you may
receive the following STOP message:

  STOP 0x0000000A (0x00000000, 0x00000002, 0x00000000, 0x80150810)

The exact address where the STOP occurs may vary, but it is always in the
hardware abstraction layer (HAL.)

CAUSE
=====

This STOP message is caused by a timing problem in the kernel that occurs when
two processes are executing that are operating on the same memory structures,
such as multiple disk reads or writes. Due to a compiler optimization that
caused two operations to be executed in the wrong order, one of the processes
attempts to use a pointer it thinks has been initialized correctly, when in fact
it has not.

This error can only occur on a multiprocessor computer and has been observed most
frequently on NCR multiprocessor systems, however it could occur on any
multiprocessor computer.


STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0. This
problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 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: 0xa prodnt

======================================================================
Keywords          :  kbbuglist kbfixlist
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400
Version           : winnt:4.0
Issue type        : kbbug

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

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.