Knowledge Base

A Client Crash May Prevent an NTFS Volume Dismount

Article ID: 159066

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q159066

SYMPTOMS

It is possible to be unable to dismount an NTFS volume on a Windows NT system, if a client connecting to that system did not close its connection gracefully. For example, the client machine crashed. This could manifest itself as not being able to delete the volume in question.

CAUSE

NTFS is not returning an error when a request is made to access a file object that does not have a valid handle. NTFS processes this request, and the cache manager will have references to the object that was never closed. This will prevent the volume from being dismounted.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining the service pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

S E R V P A C K

Additional query words: prodnt

Keywords: kbenv KB159066