Rollup update for the volsnap.sys driver in Windows Server 2003

A rollup hotfix is available for Windows Server 2003. This rollup update fixes three issues caused by the volsnap.sys driver.

Issue One

You receive the following Stop error code on a computer that is running Windows Server 2003 or the 64-bit version of Windows XP:

Issue Two

All snapshots are removed during a Cluster failover process. Additionally, the following Event ID 27 error is logged in the System log:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: VolSnap
Event Category: None
Event ID: 27
User: N/A
Computer: computer name
Description: The shadow copies of volume drive letter were aborted during detection because a critical control file could not be opened.

Issue Three

A computer that is running Windows Server 2003 stops responding, when you perform backup operations on large disk volumes.

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. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

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, contact 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.

Prerequisites

To apply this hotfix, your computer must be running Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2).

Restart requirement

You must restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Registry information

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
After this hotfix is installed, you must change the value of the UseTopDownAlloc registry entry to 1 to resolve the Stop code 0x0000006B issue.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace any other previously released hotfixes.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) 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 item in Control Panel.

For all supported x86-based versions of Windows Server 2003 SP1

For all supported x86-based versions of Windows Server 2003 SP2

For all supported Itanium-based versions of Windows Server 2003 SP1

For all supported Itanium-based versions of Windows Server 2003 SP2

For all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2003 and of Windows XP

For all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2003 SP2 and of Windows XP SP2

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

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: