Stop Message Screen Sections

As shown in Figure 17.1, a Windows 2000 Stop message screen contains three major sections: bugcheck information, recommended user action, and debug port information. Whenever a Stop message is displayed, first examine the bugcheck information section for assistance with troubleshooting. Second, examine the recommended user action section for troubleshooting information; Windows 2000 now incorporates troubleshooting tips, including some custom tips relevant to the particular error detected. Finally, check the debug port information section to see whether or not a memory dump file was saved for later use by a kernel debugger.

Bugcheck Information

The bugcheck information section includes the Stop error code, also known as the bugcheck code, which contains up to four developer-defined parameters, enclosed in parentheses, and the symbolic name of the error. In Figure 17.17.1, the Stop error code is 0x0000001E and its symbolic name is KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED.

The bugcheck information section frequently, but not always, includes a line that lists the specific hexadecimal memory address of the problem's source, along with the name of the particular driver or device in question. The type of problem detected determines whether or not this information is displayed.

Under some conditions, the kernel displays only the first line of the Stop message. This can occur if vital services needed for the display have been affected by the error.

Recommended User Action

The recommended user action section provides a list of suggestions for recovering from the error. In some cases, a simple restart might be all that is necessary because the problem is not likely to recur. In other cases, even after restarting, the Stop message returns and you are faced with getting back to an operable state. Often, this means either backing out of a recent change or, in the case of Windows 2000 setup, pinpointing and eliminating the source of the problem.

Tip

A generic list of troubleshooting tips is displayed when no specific text for a Stop message exists. For some Stop messages, tips specific to the problem are listed.

Debug Port Information

The debug port information section provides confirmation of the communications parameters (COM port and bits per second data transmission rate) used by the kernel debugger on the computer, if the kernel debugger is enabled. It also indicates whether a memory dump file was saved (the dump file indicator will be displayed only if that feature is enabled).

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