Microsoft KB Archive/173277

= No Memory.dmp File Created with RAM Above 1.7 GB =

Article ID: 173277

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Enterprise Edition

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This article was previously published under Q173277





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.



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

152734 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:

108393 MAXMEM Option in Windows NT BOOT.INI File



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is 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

Keywords: kbhotfixserver kbqfe kbbug kberrmsg kbfix KB173277

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