KB179141 - Hang or Fatal Exception Error If Paging Drive Is Ejected

Article ID: 179141

Article Last Modified on 1/22/2007

Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition
Microsoft Windows 95
Microsoft Windows 95
Microsoft Windows 95

This article was previously published under Q179141

If this article does not describe your hardware-related issue, please see the following Microsoft Web site to view more articles about hardware:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/w98?sid=460

SYMPTOMS

Windows 98 and Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) and later can use a removable drive for the Windows paging drive (the location of the Windows swap file). If you use a removable drive for the paging drive and then eject the drive while Windows is running, your computer may stop responding (hang), or you may receive a Fatal Exception error message.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because the drive containing the Windows swap file cannot be safely ejected while Windows is running. Windows 98 and OSR2 do not prevent the paging drive from being ejected by right-clicking the drive icon in Windows Explorer, and then clicking Eject.

RESOLUTION

This issue is resolved by the following updated file for Windows 95 OSR2:

   Voltrack.vxd  version 4.00.1112  dated 12/1/97 11:12am  18,511 bytes

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods:

Method 1

Do not attempt to eject the paging drive using Windows Explorer.

Method 2

Set the paging file to a non-removable drive, if one is available. To change the paging drive, use the following steps:

Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
Double-click System, click the Performance tab, and then click Virtual Memory.
Click "Let me specify my own virtual memory settings," and then select the paging file location and size.
Click OK, and then click OK.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2). An update to address this problem is now available, but is not fully regression tested and should be applied only to computers experiencing this specific problem. Unless you are severely impacted by this specific problem, Microsoft does not recommend implementing this update at this time. Contact Microsoft Technical Support for additional information about the availability of this update.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Windows 98.

MORE INFORMATION

To determine which drive is being used as the paging drive, use one of the following methods:

Verify Virtual Memory Settings

Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
Double-click System, click the Performance tab, and then click Virtual Memory. The drive listed in the Hard Disk box is your paging drive.

Search for the Win386.swp File

Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files Or Folders.
In the Named box, type win386.swp, click a drive in the Look In box, and then click Find Now. This file is the Windows paging file (or swap file), and the drive on which it is located is the paging drive.

NOTE: If your first search does not locate this file, repeat step 2 but click a different drive.

When a removable drive is used as the paging drive, Windows prevents the drive from being ejected through hardware. For example, pressing the eject button on the drive itself while Windows is running causes the following message to be displayed:

   Eject Request to Drive In Use
   The drive cannot be ejected because it is in use by the system.

The only option is "OK," and the drive is not ejected.

For more information about paging files or removable drives, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

128327 How Windows 95/98 Manages Virtual Memory

163317 MS-DOS Compatibility Mode When Booting from Removable Disk

Additional query words: HWDDRV 95

Keywords: kbqfe kbenv kbprb kbhotfixserver KB179141