Recent software can crash XP SP1 !

[j7n]

First of all, I expect that Windows XP SP1 will not be dismissed as a valid, working operating system just because a more recent version exists. Granted it is made obsolete. But people here are running Win2K and Win98 too, which have even less compatibility.

Apparently, recently released software can crash XP SP1 to a BSOD. As I posted earlier when discussing FTP client software, FileZilla Client caused a blue screen of death for me. Just now I tried the latest Media Player Classic Homecinema. It started up fine after I applied the patch for the DecodePointer function, but crashed my computer when I tried to call up the File Open dialog. MPC-HC Version 1.6.6.6957, which also initially requires XP SP2, is known to work fine.

STOP C000021A

Windows SubSystem system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of

C0000005 (0x77751D24, 0x013AF5B8)

The system has been shut down.

(The last two numbers vary.)

This looks like a compiler thing since unrelated software products cause the same crash.

The fatal system crash in FileZilla has occured for at least one other user of SP1.

https://forum.filezilla-project.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=32090

According to Microsoft, Stop C000021A means that

a user-mode subsystem, such as WinLogon or the Client Server Run-Time Subsystem (CSRSS), has been fatally compromised and security can no longer be guaranteed. In response, the operating system switches to kernel mode. Microsoft Windows cannot run without WinLogon or CSRSS. Therefore, this is one of the few cases where the failure of a user-mode service can shut down the system.

I know for a fact that Windows can run without Winlogon, because it can be replaced with minlogon. Just saying.

My observation here is that a potentially "security" related change has made Service Pack 1 incompatible with applications compiled with this "change".

Edited April 6, 2014 by j7n

[dencorso]

FileZilla does not support even Win XP SP3, nowadays.

If you kill SMSS.EXE, then you can kill WinLogon without the 0xC000021A BSOD. Or you can let whatever (say: FileZilla) crash WinLogon and still not get the 0xC000021A BSOD. But without WinLogon you'll be restricted to the Classical Theme, because the skinning interface depends on WinLogon... Just saying.

[j7n]

I'll try this later to see if these programs work without winlogon. I tried minlogon a few years ago, but couldn't accept the loss of the Lock Computer screen, which is useful to escape hung programs (when the system is still working). The present computer, where the error occurred, has never been modified in this regard, nor have I logged in as System, etc.

Edit:

Tried to repeat launching FileZilla 3.7.4.1 without SMSS and WinLogon running. The blue screen still occurred. Looks like there are more causes for it than winlogon, and in this case the message mentioned "Windows SybSystem" process (and not Winlogon at all). This thread indicates that the status code means a memory exception. I ran a memtest without errors...

Edited April 6, 2014 by j7n

[HarryTri]

a user-mode subsystem, such as WinLogon or the Client Server Run-Time Subsystem (CSRSS), has been fatally compromised

[j7n]

It does seem like a truly essential system process is crashing.

If a BSOD occurs to somebody else here, it might not necessarily be the end of life for a hardware part as it is suggested. Despite not wanting to, the FileZilla thread did offer me "support" informing about other users with this issue. Thank you, Tim "Botg" Kosse.

[dencorso]

The problem is *not* Win XP (either SP1 or later)... The problem is FileZilla.

So, with all due respect, do move over to WinSCP, and forget about it.

[j7n]

I have solved this issue after reading the experience of some users of VMware Tools and mIRC.

https://communities.vmware.com/thread/513894?start=0
http://forums.mirc.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/241712/mIRC_7.27_and_7.29_causing_BSO

I was surprised that both VMware and mIRC accepted reports about older OS as valid. Respect to them.

The culprit turned out to be an overly complicated manifest resource: two "xmlns" values per any element, as well as a section <ms_compatibility:compatibility ... >. Removal of those stopped the crashes. Replacing <ms_compatibility...> with <compatibility><application><supportedOS ... also seemed to work.

Copying sxs.dll 5.1.2600.2932 from the KB921337 hotfix into XP SP1 hasn't caused any new issues yet, and also allows software that previously crashed to work.

Yes, I still have an installation of SP1 which is heavily cutomized. Getting all settings and applications installed again on a new OS would require much effort.

<rant> I have always hated manifests and the winSxS system, because they don't allow to easily  copy MSVC runtime DLLs. But I didn't think they would be the cause of crashes, the kind that just don't happen since Win9x. Supported OSs and whether XP themed controls should be enabled could be recorded in a few bits in some header, instead of a big file in text format that needs to be parsed, and contains impossible to remember GUIDs. I just googled sxs sucks or something similar, when I came up to the posts containing the solution. </rant>

Long live XP.

[jaclaz]

2 hours ago, j7n said:

Long live XP.

Long live and prosper. 

jaclaz