The Stop 0x24 message indicates that a problem occurred within Ntfs.sys, the driver file that allows the system to read and write to NTFS file system drives. A similar Stop message, 0x23, exists for the file allocation table (FAT32) file systems.
Interpreting the Stop 0x24 Message
This Stop message has four parameters, as listed below:
Parameter Description
Parameter 1 Source file and line number.
Parameter 2 A nonzero value that contains the address of the exception record (optional).
Parameter 3 A nonzero value that contains the address of the context record (optional).
Parameter 4 This parameter is reserved (set aside for future use).
Parameters for this Stop message are useful only to Microsoft technical support personnel who have access to Windows Server 2003 source code. Stop errors caused by file system issues have the source file and the line number within the source file that generated the error encoded in their first parameter. The first four hexadecimal digits (also known as the high 16 bits) after the “0x” identify the source file number, and the last four hexadecimal digits (the low 16 bits) identify the source line in the file where the error occurred.
Troubleshooting the Stop 0x24 Error
The following sections list the most common sources for this Stop error and suggest some troubleshooting solutions.
Hard disk issues
File system corruption in the form of bad sectors on the hard disk can cause Stop 0x24 errors. Malfunctioning disk hardware or disk drivers can also adversely affect the system’s ability to read and write to disk, causing errors. Check for cabling and termination problems between the controller and the disks. Remove and replace disk controller cards to ensure all connections are solid.
To test hard disk or volume integrity
Method 1:
1. In the Run dialog box, type:cmd
2. At the command prompt, type: chkdsk drive: /f
Method 2:
1. In Windows Explorer, select the hard disk you want to check.
2. On the File menu, click Properties, and then click the Tools tab.
3. In the Error-checking box, click Check Now.
4. Under Check disk options, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box. You can also select the Automatically fix file system errors check box.
If the volume you are checking is in use, a message asks whether you want to delay disk error checking until the next time you restart your computer. When you restart, disk error checking runs and the volume chosen is not available to run other tasks during this process. If you cannot restart the computer in normal mode because of the error, use Safe Mode or Recovery Console.
Caution
Do not use tools meant for other operating systems on Windows Server 2003 partitions, or you might lose file information.
System and application problems
Periodically check Event Viewer for error messages related to small computer system interface (SCSI) or FASTFAT in the System log or Autochk in the Application log. Verify that services or other software that runs in the background — such as virus scanners, backup programs, or disk defragmenters — are compatible with Windows Server 2003. Some disks and adapters come packaged with diagnostic software that you can use to run hardware tests. For more information about diagnostic tools usage and compatibility, see the owner’s manual for your computer, hard disk, or controller.
