CreateProcessAsUser() Fails After Applying Service Pack 3

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.51
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.51

SYMPTOMS

Applications that use the CreateProcessAsUser() Win 32 function to start a new console application in a different user account's security context may receive the following error:

   Initialization of the dynamic link library
   d:\winnt35\system32\kernel32.dll failed.

   The process is terminating abnormally.

CAUSE

The new console application fails to load Kernel32.dll because it fails to allocate the new console window requested by the starting application The console window allocation fails because the starting application references a virtual address descriptor (VAD) owned by the parent application causing a conflicting address error.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.51 Service Packs 3 and 4. 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