FIX: Error Message 1203 Followed by Stack Overflow With Keyset Cursors

When the FETCH process of a keyset cursor is blocked by another user transaction during lock escalation and is then subsequently released from blocking, the following 1203 error message occurs: The error message may be followed by "stack overflow" error messages in the errorlog and sometimes the SQL Server server becomes unresponsive.

When the FETCH process completes, it tries to release the locks that are no longer held due to lock escalation.

Change to a different cursor type (for example, Dynamic).

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SQL Server version 6.5. This problem has been corrected in the Post Service Pack 5a Update for Microsoft SQL Server version 6.5. To install the Post Service Pack 5a Update, you must have either SQL Server 6.5 SP5 or SP5a installed.

For information about how to download and install the SQL Server 6.5 Service Pack 5a, refer to the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: If you already have SQL Server 6.5 SP5 or SP5a installed, you can download the Post SP5a Update from the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information, contact your primary support provider.