Updated System Environment Variables Result in STOP 0x0000021a

 Last reviewed: March 19, 1996
Article ID: Q139274
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5 and 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5 and 3.51

SYMPTOMS

After you update the system environment variables with a large number of additions in Control Panel System and restart Windows NT, the following STOP error message appears: 

   STOP: 0xc000021a

CAUSE

This problem occurs due to a problem in the SMSS (Session Manager Subsystem) initialization code.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem in Windows NT version 3.5, choose Last Known Good when you reboot. This causes the changes you have made to the system environment not to be available. However, invoking the Last Known Good in Windows NT version 3.51 without a Service Pack added does not work and can corrupt your Windows NT installation.

RESOLUTION

This problem has been corrected in the latest Service Pack for Windows NT version 3.51.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT versions 3.5 and 3.51. This problem was corrected in the latest Windows NT 3.51 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces): 

   S E R V P A C K

KBCategory: kbenv kbfix3.51.sp4
KBSubcategory: ntstop
Additional reference words: prodnt 3.50 3.51 trap 0x21a crash blue screen

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Last reviewed: March 19, 1996
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