Delayed Return of Paged Pool Causes Error 1450 "Insufficient Resources"

ID: Q236964

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

The problem described in this article is difficult to identify. One way to check for the problem if you suspect you are experiencing it is to calculate the number of files open on the Window NT-based computer and look at their size. If you have approximately 180 gigabytes (GB) of open files that are not being closed continuously or are opened and closed rapidly in a looping condition, you may be experiencing this problem. Also, your programs may be receiving an INSUFFICIENT_RESOURCES error message when attempting to open, create, or extend a file.

This problem can be intermittent. If you try the operation again it is possible for it to succeed. This behavior occurs because it is possible to have a program create and close files faster than Windows NT can clean up. When this occurs it is possible for the operation to succeed if retried.

Another method that you can use to identify the problem is to start Task Manager and click the Performance tab. At the bottom of the tab, locate the Kernel Memory section and watch the value for Paged Memory. You may experience the problem when that value reaches approximately 190. If this value goes back down immediately, you should be able to retry the operation that caused the error message and have it succeed (if the system has enough resources to fulfill the program's request).


CAUSE

In Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4 (SP4), optimization was added to the cache manager and the NTFS file system that allows NTFS to return a FALSE response when the cache manager tries to acquire a file for "lazy" writing. NTFS does this when it is in the middle of a clean checkpoint, because clean checkpoints can take time to finish. This allows the cache manager to move on to other files on other volumes instead of waiting for the clean checkpoint to finish.

In this case, NTFS needs to free recently deallocated clusters. NTFS does this by forcing a clean checkpoint. In this particular situation, the cache manager should wait for the checkpoint to finish instead of moving on to work on other files, because it is not really a clean checkpoint and should not take very long.

The solution is not to let NTFS return a FALSE response to the cache manager when it is performing a clean checkpoint as a result of needing recently deallocated clusters freed.


RESOLUTION

A supported fix that corrects this problem is now available from Microsoft, but it has not been fully regression tested and should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. If you are not severely affected by this specific problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Windows NT 4.0 service pack that contains this fix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp
The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later: 

   Date      Time                 Size    File name     Platform
   -------------------------------------------------------------
   07/01/99  03:35p               363,152 Ntfs.sys      x86
   07/01/99  03:34p               559,248 Ntfs.sys      Alpha

NOTE: If this product was already installed on your computer when you purchased it from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and you need this fix, please call the Pay Per Incident number listed on the above Web site. If you contact Microsoft to obtain this fix, and if it is determined that you only require the fix you requested, no fee will be charged. However, if you request additional technical support, and if your no-charge technical support period has expired, or if you are not eligible for standard no-charge technical support, you may be charged a non-refundable fee.

For more information about eligibility for no-charge technical support, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q154871 Determining If You Are Eligible for No-Charge Technical Support


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT 4.0.

Additional query words: insufficient resources 


Keywords          : kbbug4.00 kbfix4.00 
Version           : winnt:4.0 SP4
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: August 3, 1999