FIX: Error message when you perform an update operation by using a cursor in SQL Server 2005: "Transaction (Process ID <SPID>) was deadlocked on lock resources with another process and has been chosen as the deadlock victim"

Consider the following scenario:

• You connect to an instance of SQL Server 2005 by using two connections.
• In the first connection, you take the following actions:
  • You open a cursor that has the SCROLL LOCKS option enabled.
  • You use the cursor to fetch rows from a table.
• In the second connection, you open another cursor and then fetch rows from the same table.
• In the second connection, the fetch operation is waiting until you close the cursor in the first connection.

In this scenario, when you perform an update operation by using the cursor in the first connection, you receive the following error message:Additionally, after you close the first connection, the update operation is completed successfully. However, the fetch operation in the second connection returns the old value.

When the second connection fetches data, the second connection is waiting for a resource that is held by the first connection. When the first connection upgrades the U lock to the X lock, a deadlock occurs.

The fix for this issue was first released in Cumulative Update 8. For more information about how to obtain this cumulative update package for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:Note Because the builds are cumulative, each new fix release contains all the hotfixes and all the security fixes that were included with the previous SQL Server 2005 fix release. Microsoft recommends that you consider applying the most recent fix release that contains this hotfix. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:Microsoft SQL Server 2005 hotfixes are created for specific SQL Server service packs. You must apply a SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 hotfix to an installation of SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2. By default, any hotfix that is provided in a SQL Server service pack is included in the next SQL Server service pack.

To enable the update

After applying this update, enable trace flag 4120. To do this, use the following command: Or, you can add the -T4120 startup parameter.

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

For more information about what files are changed, and for information about any prerequisites to apply the cumulative update package that contains the hotfix that is described in this Microsoft Knowledge Base article, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

For more information about the list of builds that are available after SQL Server Service Pack 2, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information about the Incremental Servicing Model for SQL Server, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:For more information about how to obtain SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information about the new features and the improvements in SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2, visit the following Microsoft Web site: For more information about the naming schema for SQL Server updates, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:For more information about software update terminology, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: