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Q173277: No Memory.dmp File Created with RAM Above 1.7 GB

Article: Q173277
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kberrmsg kbtool kbWinNT400sp4fix kbOSWinNT400 kbOSWin2000 kbDSupport
Last Modified: 20-MAR-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

In systems where RAM exceeds 1.7 GB, Memory.dmp files are not generated even
though a sufficient pagefile (RAM + 11 MB) is available on the boot drive.

Additionally, if larger Memory.dmp file images are produced (by applying hotfixes
referenced below), several support utilities should be updated to read the
larger Memory.dmp images. Without these updated files for dumpchk, dumpexam,
i386kd (or alphakd, mip, ppc) and windbg the following error message is
generated:

  Could not initialize crash dump file <path to dumpfile>.


CAUSE
=====

Several causes were isolated related to mapping views of very large memory
images.

RESOLUTION
==========

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or
Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information,
please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack


For your convenience, the English version of this post-SP3 hotfix has been posted
to the following Internet location. However, Microsoft recommends that you
install Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4 to correct this problem.

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/NT40/hotfixes-postSP3/2gcrash

- Ntoskrnl.exe (or Ntkrnlmp.exe) and Savedump.exe are used to produce larger
  Memory.dmp files.

- Dumpchk.exe and Dumpexam.exe are used to verify the larger Memory.dmp files.


You may be able to work around this problem by limiting the maximum amount of RAM
the system accesses to 1.7 GB or less. To do this, use the /MAXMEM= switch in
the Boot.ini file. For more information, please see the following article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q108393 MAXMEM Option in Windows NT BOOT.INI File

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT
Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows
NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition
Service Pack 4.


Additional query words: 4.00

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Keywords          : kberrmsg kbtool kbWinNT400sp4fix kbOSWinNT400 kbOSWin2000 kbDSupport 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbwin2000AdvServ kbwin2000AdvServSearch kbwin2000Serv kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTSEntSearch kbWinNTSEnt400 kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbwin2000ServSearch kbwin2000Search kbwin2000ProSearch kbwin2000Pro kbNTTermServ400 kbNTTermServSearch kbWinAdvServSearch
Version           : :4.0
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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