Blue Screen Preparation Before Contacting Microsoft When a STOP message (fatal system error) occurs in Windows, it enters

debug mode for troubleshooting purposes. This appears as a blue screen and the first few lines look similar to the following: Stop 0x0000001e (c000009a 80123f36 02000000 00000246) Unhandled Kernel exception c000009a from 8123f26 Address 80123f36 has base at 80100000 ntoskrnl.exe The following are two procedures to assist you in identifying the cause of the STOP message before you contact Microsoft Product Support.

loadTOCNode(1, 'moreinformation'); Knowledge Base loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation'); The Knowledge Base contains many articles that explain specific STOP messages and often, resolutions to or ways to work around the problem. Search the Knowledge Base for at least the first hexadecimal number. For example, in the example above, that is "0x0000001e". It also may be helpful to search on the identified file name and other hexadecimal numbers.

Saving STOP Messages to File loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation'); You can configure Windows to save STOP message information to a "dump" file, Memory.dmp. If you need to contact Microsoft Product Support, this will help you give us the specific information we need to identify the problem. Saving STOP message information to file is enabled by default in Windows NT Server. However, for Windows NT Workstation, you must enable the option manually. This must be done prior to encountering a fatal error for the information to be recorded. To enable this feature, follow these steps: 1. In the System component of Control Panel, click the Recovery button. 2. Select the Write Debugging Information To check box. 3. Click OK until you are asked to restart the computer. NOTE: The paging file must be at least as large as the amount of physical RAM that is installed in your computer, plus at least one megabyte (example: 32 megabytes of RAM is equal to a 33megabyte paging file). Nominally, the paging file should be 11

megabytes larger than physical memory. The paging file must reside in the active partition. There must be enough free space in the selected location to write the memory dump file. By default, the memory dump file is written to the %SystemRoot%\Memory.dmp file. If there is not enough free space on the %SystemRoot% drive, you can redirect the dump file to another location that has enough free space. You can do this by changing the Dump File path in the Startup and Recovery options in Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows XP, or by changing the Write Debugging Information To path on the Startup/Shutdown tab in Windows NT 4.0. Blue Screen Preparation Before Contacting Microsoft Memory.dmp File loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation'); If a STOP message appears and a Memory.dmp file is created, a Microsoft support professional may be able to debug the dump file. Call Microsoft Product Support, describe the STOP message to the support professional and explain that you have a dump file. You may be asked to send your Memory.dmp file to Microsoft if the support professional is not able to solve the problem over the phone. If so, compress the file with an application such as PKZIP. Memory.dmp files usually compress significantly. Use one of the following options to upload the file: Send your compressed Memory.dmp file by FTP to ftp.microsoft.com. This requires FTP access to the Internet. The support professional will explain how to place your file on the FTP server. The server TCP/IP address is: 207.46.133.140

Back up your Memory.dmp file to tape using NTBackup and mail the tape to the support professional. Copy the file to a writeable compact disc and mail it to the support professional. If none of the above options are feasible, the support professional may be able to use Remote Access Service (RAS) to access your computer and examine or copy the Memory.dmp file. Follow these steps to prepare your computer for a Microsoft Support Professional to access it with RAS: 1. Create a temporary user account that a Microsoft support professional can use when accessing the Memory.dmp file. 2. On another server, create a share and give this new user account access to this share.

3. Copy the newly created Memory.dmp file to this new share. 4. If you don't have RAS installed at your site, install RAS on an Windows NT Server or Workstation. For security, you can install RAS on a computer and allow remote clients to connect only to that computer, not the network. If you do this, create the new network share on this computer and copy the Memory.dmp file there. 5. Allow the support professional user ID access to dial in to the RAS server. 6. Give the support professional the user name, password, domain name, server name, share name, and phone number for the modem line.

Description of the Windows XP Logman.exe, Relog.exe, and Typeperf.exe Tools: This article contains a description of the Windows XP Logman.exe, Relog.exe, and Typeperf.exe command-line tools you can use in conjunction with, or separate from, System Monitor and the Performance Logs and Alerts snap-in. All of these tools are included in all versions of Microsoft Windows XP (excluding Windows XP Home Edition), and you can run these tools from a command prompt. Logman.exe loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation'); You can use the Logman.exe tool to: Remotely start and stop log file data collections from a central location by specifying the remote computer name. Configure a data collection on one computer and then copy that configuration to multiple computers from a central location. Query currently-running logs and traces. Example loadTOCNode(3, 'moreinformation'); If Sample_Log is the name of an existing performance log on the local computer, the logman start Sample_Log command starts the log.

Relog.exe
loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation'); You can use the Relog.exe tool to: Convert a log from one type to another, such as a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 log to a Windows XP log, or a binary log file (.blg) to a comma-separated values (.csv) file. Resample a log file, and then create a new log file that is based on specified counters, a time period, or a sampling interval. Example loadTOCNode(3, 'moreinformation');

To convert a Windows 2000 log file that is named Win2k_log to a .csv log file that is named Win2k_log.csv, you would use the relog Win2k_log.blg -f CSV -o Win2k_log.csv command.

Typeperf.exe
loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation'); You can use the Typeperf.exe tool to: Write performance data to the command window or to a supported log file format. Display all of the counters that are currently available on a particular local or remote computer. Example loadTOCNode(3, 'moreinformation'); To output the Memory counter, Available Bytes, from a remote computer that is named "XPPRO", every 5 seconds, you would use the typeperf "Memory\Available Bytes" -s XPPRO -si 00:05 command.

Advanced troubleshooting tips for general USB problems in Windows XP This article describes advanced troubleshooting tips for universal serial bus (USB) devices in Windows XP If you have a problem with a USB device, try these methods first: 1. Unplug and then plug in the device. 2. If the computer prompts you for a device driver, read the information that was included with the device, or visit the manufacturer's Web site to see whether a driver is available. 3. Run Windows Update to obtain the latest fixes for Windows XP. When this is complete, plug in the device to see whether it is installed correctly. If the problem persists after you try these three methods, you can use the "Advanced troubleshooting" section to try to resolve the issue. Advanced troubleshooting loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation'); This section is intended for advanced computer users. If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, you might want to ask someone for help or contact support. For information about how to do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/ (http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/) Because USB devices are Plug and Play devices, there is little that you can do to control or configure them. However, you can trace most USB problems to one of the following conditions: Malfunctioning or incorrectly-configured hardware Malfunctioning, incorrectly-configured, or missing device driver Mismatched cabling Out-of-date firmware or basic input/output system (BIOS) Incorrectly-configured root hub

You can use the following troubleshooting tips to check for each of these conditions to help you resolve USB device issues.

Malfunctioning or incorrectly-configured hardware

loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation'); Typically, if you plug a malfunctioning or incorrectly-configured device into a USB port, it causes the computer to stop responding (hang). In most of these instances, you must physically turn off the computer and turn it back on to reset the bus. Be aware that it may be more difficult to identify which device is malfunctioning or is configured incorrectly. If another computer that you know is working correctly is available, try to plug the device into that computer to see whether you encounter the same issue. If the device is plugged into a secondary hub, unplug the device from the hub, and then plug the device directly into the root hub. Many hardware problems (such as high or low power, bandwidth shortage, malfunctioning or incorrectly-configured firmware, and so on) can cause issues to occur. Check Device Manager to be certain that the root hub is functioning correctly. If the root hub is displayed with an exclamation point (!) in a yellow circle, verify that the BIOS is assigning an interrupt request (IRQ) to the root USB controller. This is required for the device driver to be loaded. For more information about how to use Device Manager to troubleshoot hardware issues, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 133240 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/133240/ ) Troubleshooting device conflicts with Device Manager If no devices work when you plug the devices into the root hub, verify that the power requirements of the bus are not being exceeded. USB devices can draw a maximum of 500 milliamps for each connection. If a device tries to draw more power than this, the specification recommends that the computer should be able to disable that specific port until the computer power is cycled (this is known as "suspending" the port). In addition, if the device draws less than 50 milliamps, the port never becomes active. Check the Power tab in USB Root Hub properties to check the power usage of the USB bus.

Malfunctioning, incorrectly-configured, or missing device driver

loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation'); When you plug in a USB device, the computer should load and then configure the device without ever requesting a device driver (assuming that the device falls within the defined and supplied class drivers). If the computer prompts you for a device driver, check with the manufacturer of the device to determine whether a driver is available.

Mismatched cabling
loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation'); There are two types of USB cables, high speed and low speed. Low-speed cables differ from high-speed cables primarily in their shielding. If you plug a high-speed device into a low-speed cable, you can cause signal distortion over long distances. Verify the USB chain is working correctly to be certain that a device that requires the ability to draw

power from the hub is not plugged into the chain on the other side of a non-powered hub. This causes that hub and all devices down the chain to be suspended. If the hub is a powered hub, verify that the power supply for that hub is configured correctly.

Out-of-date firmware or BIOS

loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation'); The key to all USB devices is the firmware. The USB device's firmware contains all information about the device. A port is not reset until all descriptors in the firmware have been loaded and verified by the root hub. This is important because it applies to items such as printers and modems. Make sure that you have the most up-to-date firmware that is available for both your computer's BIOS and each device. The symptoms of malfunctioning or incorrectly-configured firmware might be unusual. Typically, when you remove and then re-add a USB device, the device becomes available again. However, the device may be displayed as a second instance of that device, and load itself as such in Device Manager. If you see duplicates of a device, verify that you have the most up-to-date firmware for that device. This issue is common with USB printers and modems. A similar issue that has the same cause occurs when a device loads a device driver, and then adds a second device for which there seems to be no driver. The second device is displayed with an exclamation point in a yellow circle in Device Manager. The device may work correctly. However, you cannot remove the "ghost" device until you unplug the parent device that seems to have generated the ghost device. Also, you may be able to resolve this issue by updating the firmware or the device driver for that device.

Incorrectly-configured root hub

loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation'); USB controllers require that an IRQ be assigned. The IRQ line is assigned in the computer's BIOS, and usually IRQ 9 is assigned.

Remove and reinstall all USB controllers

loadTOCNode(2, 'moreinformation'); To remove and reinstall all USB controllers, follow these steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl in the Open box, and then click OK. Click the Hardware tab. Click the Device Manager button. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers. Right-click every device under the Universal Serial Bus controllers node, and then click Uninstall to remove them one at a time. 6. Restart the computer, and then reinstall the USB controllers. 7. Plug in the removable USB storage device, and then test to make sure that the issue is resolved. A USB mouse that is connected to a USB 2.0 hub is not detected by Windows XP
You may experience one of the following symptoms:

When you start a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer that uses a universal serial bus (USB) mouse that is connected to a USB 2.0 hub, the USB mouse is not detected. When you plug a USB mouse into a USB 2.0 hub that is connected to a Windows XP-based computer, the USB mouse is not detected. loadTOCNode(1, 'cause'); This behavior may occur because of a timing issue that prevents a USB mouse from

being detected by Windows XP. loadTOCNode(1, 'workaround'); To work around this behavior, unplug the USB mouse from the USB hub, and then plug the mouse into the hub again. If the mouse is still not detected, restart your Windows XP-based computer. If the USB mouse is still not detected and if you do not require the USB hub to connect other USB devices, plug the USB mouse directly into the computer. If the USB mouse is still not detected, verify that the USB hub driver is installed and running correctly. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Click Start, click Run, type Devmgmt.msc, and then click OK. 2. In Device Manager, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers. If the USB hub driver is not working correctly, a yellow circle that contains an exclamation mark appears on the device name. 3. Right-click USB Root Hub, and then click Properties. 4. On the General tab, verify that a "This device is working properly" message exists in the Device status area. Note Some earlier motherboard versions do not support USB 2.0. An update that adds support for USB 2.0 may be available for your motherboard BIOS. Contact the manufacturer of your motherboard for more information about BIOS updates. For information about your hardware manufacturer, visit the following Web site: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/vendors/en-us (http://support.microsoft.com/gp/vendors/en-us) Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this thirdparty contact information. You receive a "Rundll32.exe has encountered a problem" error message, or the wrong USB device is removed when you try to remove a USB device on a Windows XP-based computer When you use the Safely Remove Hardware program to remove a universal serial bus (USB) device, you may experience one of the following symptoms: You receive the following error message: Rundll32.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience. The wrong USB device is removed even though the USB device that you specified is still connected to your computer. loadTOCNode(1, 'cause'); This problem occurs when the following conditions are true: You unplug the USB device from your computer while the USB service for that device is being stopped. You unplug the USB device before you receive confirmation

from the Safely Remove Hardware program that the service is stopped and that the device is removed from Device Manager. When you unplug the USB device before you receive this confirmation, the computer cannot find the USB device that you specified in the Safely Remove Hardware program. Therefore, the computer generates the error message that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section, or the computer removes a different USB device.

loadTOCNode(1, 'status'); Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. loadTOCNode(1, 'moreinformation'); Make sure that you use either the Add/Remove Hardware wizard or the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the notification area to remove a USB device from Device Manager before you physically unplug it from your computer. When you correctly remove a device from the computer, you avoid the risk of data loss and the risk that the computer or the device will malfunction as the result of an unsafe removal procedure.