A Windows Server 2003-based server may experience time-stamp counter drift if the server uses dual-core AMD Opteron processors or multiprocessor AMD Opteron processors

A Windows Server 2003-based server may experience time-stamp counter drift if the server uses dual-core AMD Opteron processors or multiprocessor AMD Opteron processors. When this problem occurs, operations that rely on the time-stamp counter may not function correctly. These operations include network communications and performance monitoring. For example, if the server is an Active Directory domain controller, you may receive the following error message:

This problem occurs when the time-stamp counters for different processor cores are not synchronized. Windows Server 2003 uses the time-stamp counter as a timekeeping source. Each processor contains a time-stamp counter.

To resolve this problem, configure Windows Server 2003 to use the PM_TIMER setting instead of the time-stamp counter. To do this, add the /usepmtimer parameter to the Boot.ini file, and then restart the server.

Note The /usepmtimer parameter is automatically added to the Boot.ini file when you install the latest AMD PowerNow! Technology driver from AMD. The updated driver itself does not resolve this problem. However, the installation process makes the necessary changes to the Boot.ini file to resolve this problem.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

By default, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2) uses the PM timer for all multiprocessor Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC) Hardware Abstraction Layers (HALs) or Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) HALs unless one of the following conditions is true:

• The check process to determine whether the BIOS supports the APIC or ACPI HALs fails.
• The BIOS does not support the APIC HAL or the ACPI HAL.
  
  Note If the BIOS does not support the APIC HAL or the ACPI HAL, contact the original equipment manufacturer to determine whether a BIOS update is available that will resolve the problem. If a BIOS update is not available, you must use the PM timer by using the /usepmtimer switch.

If you are not running Windows Server 2003 SP2, you must force the AMD computer to use the PM timer by using the /usepmtimer switch.

Note The decision to use the PM timer or the TSC timer is made during a check that is performed at startup to query the BIOS and to determine whether the BIOS will support the PM timer functions. This check is not completely accurate on AMD chipsets. Therefore, you must use the /usepmtimer switch.

In Windows Server 2003 SP2, this section of code was rewritten. Therefore, the correct performance monitor data appears on AMD chipsets that have Windows Server 2003 SP2 installed, and you do not have to use the /usepmtimer switch.

For more information about ACPI and APCI hardware support, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.