Security Descriptor Has an Empty Owner Value

Your computer may log Event 1450 event messages several times per second in the Directory Service log. The event messages are similar to the following event message:

Event ID: 1450
Source: NTDS SDPROP
Category: Internal Processing
Description: While processing security descriptor propagation, the directory service failed to calculate a new security descriptor for object CN=xyz,OU=abc,DC=domainname,DC=com (error 0x3f0)

This problem occurs because the object that the event message refers to has a security descriptor with an empty owner value. The security descriptor propagator cannot correct the problem and remove the object from its queue.

Service Pack Information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Windows 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Hotfix Information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, submit a request to Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language. The English version of this fix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

To work around this problem, delete the objects that the Directory Service events identify (frequently you may not have access because of the corrupted security descriptor) and wait for garbage collection (by default, this occurs in 60 days). The Directory Service continues to log Event 1450 event messages for the objects until the garbage collection occurs.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4.

For additional information about how to obtain a hotfix for Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: A particular code path in the Directory Service permitted a security descriptor with an empty owner value to be written. Active Directory Connector (ADC) can, under certain conditions, use this code path.

The hotfix described in this article fixes the code path and stamps 'broken' objects with a default security descriptor. The new descriptor does not block inheritance and the repaired object acquires permissions that it inherits from its parent. Each time an object security descriptor is 'fixed', you receive the following event message:

Event ID: 1214
Source: NTDS SDPROP
Category: Internal Processing
Description: While processing security descriptor propagation, the directory service found no security descriptor on CN=xyz,OU=abc,DC=domainname,DC=com (error 0x53a). A default security descriptor is being applied to the object. This will potentially result in the security on this object being different on this DC. Please write a new Security Descriptor on this object to correct the problem.

Note: You must install this hotfix on all domain controllers that host the objects that have security descriptors that are not valid. The hofix does not replicate the security descriptor that it repairs. If the hotfix does not repair the objects, you may have to initiate full security descriptor propagation manually. For additional information about how to initiate full security descriptor propagation manually, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: