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Q189061: Repeated Regsavekey/Regrestorekey Actions Corrupt Registry Hive

Article: Q189061
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): WinNT:3.1,3.5,3.51,4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbWinNT400sp4fix
Last Modified: 09-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.1, 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.1, 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you repeatedly save and restore a registry key in Windows NT, the registry
hive may eventually become corrupted.

CAUSE
=====

If you save a registry key to disk, and then later restore it over another key
where the key name length is different (that is, longer than the original key
name), it causes the actual allocated storage for the key to grow. If you repeat
this process enough times, eventually the storage assigned to this key becomes
so large that the registry check code declares the hive corrupted.

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


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.


Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.1, 3.5, and
3.51. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: multiple saving saves restores restoring import export reg

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Keywords          : kbWinNT400sp4fix 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT351search kbWinNT350search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTW350 kbWinNTW350search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTW310 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTSEntSearch kbWinNTSEnt400 kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS350 kbWinNTS310 kbNTTermServ400 kbNTTermServSearch kbWinNTS351search kbWinNTS350search kbWinNTS310search kbWinNT310Search kbWinNTW310Search
Version           : WinNT:3.1,3.5,3.51,4.0
Hardware          : ALPHA x86
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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