XFOR: MTA Terminates Unexpectedly with Event ID 9405

• Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.0

SYMPTOMS

The Microsoft Exchange Server Message Transfer Agent (MTA) might terminate unexpectedly with the following error messages in the Windows NT Event Viewer Application log:

   Event id: 9405 : An unexpected error has occurred which may cause the MTA 
   to terminate. Error: Exception 0x80000003 occurred at Address 0x6722a908. 
   (BASE TCP/IP DRVR 8) (16).

   Event id: 9405 : Cannot create Heap : rtn 142, error 8

CAUSE

The MTA will generate Event ID 9405 when it attempts to perform a DebugBreak(). When the system finds that no debugger is hooked into the MTA, the system attempts to break into the default debugger which may hang the server. The DebugBreak() can be triggered when a heap creation call fails with ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORY while performing a content conversion.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange server, version 5.0.

A supported fix is now available, but has not been fully regression-tested and should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. Unless you are severely impacted by this specific problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Service Pack that contains this fix. Contact Microsoft Technical Support for more information.

MORE INFORMATION

The following events may also occur with the Event ID 9405:

   Event id: 9224: A sockets error 10054 on a send() call was detected.
   The MTA will attempt to recover the socket connection. Control block
   index: 12. (BASE IL TCP/IP DRVR 8 272) (12)

   Event id: 9236: A sockets error was detected. A receive socket has been
   closed on control block index: 2, Socket error: 0.
   (BASE IL TCP/IP DRVR 8 255) (12)

   Event id: 9215: A sockets error 10060 on a connect() call was detected.
   The MTA will attempt to recover the socket connection. Control block
   index: 13. (BASE IL TCP/IP DRVR 8 274) (12)

   Event id: 4284: A error occurred during connection/disconnection. Error
   code 8511 (POP4 POP4 DOWN 4 179) (14)

   Event id: 2026: An internal MTA error occurred. Contact Microsoft Product
   Support Services. Unable to write to the message tracking log, error code
   '. (BASE XFER-IN 20 89) (16)