Microsoft KB Archive/191254

= Dr. Watson Error When Starting Terminal Server Admin Utility =

Article ID: 191254

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition

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This article was previously published under Q191254



IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry



SYMPTOMS
When you start the Terminal Server Administration utility from the Start/Programs/Administrative Tools menu, a Dr. Watson Access Violation error in Tsadmin.exe is generated.

Example: (text from Drwatson.log file)

Application exception occurred:

App: exe\tsadmin.dbg

When: 8/3/1998 @ 9:35:15.733

Exception number: c0000005 (access violation)



CAUSE
The registry setting for the InstallDate was set to 0 (zero).



RESOLUTION
This problem can be resolved by editing the registry and changing the value for the InstallDate to a valid value.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To correctly configure the InstallDate, use the Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe) to edit the following registry key:

 Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe) and locate the following registry subkey in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree:

\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\InstallDate

 Select the InstallDate value and change it to a valid Hex Dword, representing an appropriate date and time, for example:

 Sunday, January 01, 1995, 12:00:00 AM = 2f0636d0 Monday, January 01, 1996, 12:00:00 AM = 30e76a50  Use the registry entry value from another computer.</li> Write a small C program using ctime to calculate the exact value.</li></ol>

<div class="status_section">

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition version 4.0.

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MORE INFORMATION
The installation of hotfixes on Terminal Server can also cause the Dr. Watson error because of the missing value of Installed On. Tsadmin.exe enumerates the Hotfix key to get the information regarding hotfixes installed on the system. The absence of the Installed On value can cause Dr. Watson errors, too.

Check the following information in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Hotfix\

Add Value: Installed On

Data Type: REG_DWORD

Data: 0x0

Additional query words: installdate tsadmin

Keywords: kbbug kbpending kbprb KB191254

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