DOCUMENT:Q216477 11-DEC-2001 [winnt] TITLE :Environment Path Too Long Causes Access Violation in Winlogon PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows NT PROD/VER:winnt:4.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS: ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYMPTOMS ======== When a user attempts to log on remotely to a Terminal Server, the user will appear to start a logon session and get a background displayed, but will then be returned to the Locate Terminal Server dialog box. On the server, an instance of Dr. Watson will be shown in Task Manager, and the Drwtsn32.log file will be generated, as well as a user dump of the memory at the time of the failure. If the same user is logging on to the console of the Terminal Server, rather than remotely, the same thing occurs; however, because Winlogon is a vital system component, the server will display a blue screen STOP 0xC000021a error message. CAUSE ===== When a user profile contains a combined environment path that is very long, the Winlogon.exe process that is spawned for the user will have a Dr. Watson error, and the user will be sent back to the Locate Terminal Server dialog box. If the same user logs on to the console of the Terminal Server, it will also cause Winlogon to have a Dr. Watson error, but it will be accompanied by a STOP 0xC000021a blue screen error message. RESOLUTION ========== To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for 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 WORKAROUND ========== To work around this problem, shorten your paths so that they total 1 KB or less of characters. STATUS ====== Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition, Service Pack 5. Additional query words: terminalsrv dr watson termsrv trap ====================================================================== Keywords : Technology : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbNTTermServ400 kbNTTermServSearch Version : winnt:4.0 Hardware : ALPHA MIPS x86 Issue type : kbbug Solution Type : kbfix ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2001.