DOCUMENT:Q283102 11-JUN-2002 [winnt] TITLE :Windows NT4.0 Print Servers Paged Pool Leak on FsRt Pooltag PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows NT PROD/VER::4.0,4.0 SP6a OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kbenv kbprint kbtool kbWinNT400nospFix kbWin2000SP2Fix ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 4.0, 4.0 SP6a ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: Q256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry SYMPTOMS ======== When you are using a Windows NT 4.0-based print server that is running any service pack with spooler print notifications (pop-ups) enabled, the computer may run out of Paged Pool if the users who are submitting the print jobs are not logged on. When you use the Poolmon tool for a few days, paged pool usage increases due to pooltag elements of type FsRt. This problem usually occurs on print servers when the print requests are submitted from a Windows NT 4.0 service running under a dedicated service account, and no user is logged on under that account to receive the spooler notifications. CAUSE ===== The problem can occur when the spooler generates printing notifications faster than the alerter-messenger remote procedure call (RPC) can dispatch them. After a variable period of time (one week or more), the print server computer may run out of paged pool and eventually stop responding (hang). This occurs because the spooler notifications use the mailslots mechanism and the messages are stored in paged pool on the server. If the receiving user is not logged on somewhere on the network, these notification messages cannot be delivered, and eventually exhaust paged pool. RESOLUTION ========== To work around this problem, use one of the methods in this section. Method 1 -------- 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. If you do not need the spooler notifications, you can disable them by setting the NetPopUp value in the following registry key: Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Providers Value: NetPopUp Type: REG_DWORD Data value: 0 Method 2 -------- If you enable spooler notifications, verify that the user who should receive the notification is logged on to the network. If the user never logs on interactively (which is usually the case for a service account), printing notifications are accumulated on the server. After a period of time, the paged pool is exhausted and the print server must be restarted. Note that on a computer running Windows NT 4.0, the paged pool size is limited to 192 megabyte (MB). STATUS ====== Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem is resolved in Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 (SP2). The messenger is redesigned so that it is multiple threaded in Windows 2000, and SP2 adds an enabler hotfix. Additional query words: spooler spoolss mailslots notification ====================================================================== Keywords : kbenv kbprint kbtool kbWinNT400nospFix kbWin2000SP2Fix Technology : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400sp6 kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 Version : :4.0,4.0 SP6a Hardware : ALPHA 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 2002.