Skip to main content
  • Place orders quickly and easily
  • View orders and track your shipping status
  • Enjoy members-only rewards and discounts
  • Create and access a list of your products
  • Manage your Dell EMC sites, products, and product-level contacts using Company Administration.

Article Number: 000171243


Windows 2012 R2 server crash pointing to EMC PowerPath driver EMCPMPX.SYS

Article Content


Symptoms

Customer updated Windows 2012 R2 update September KB3185279, or October KB3185331 KB3192404, or November KB3197875 KB3197874, or December KB3205401 recently: https://support.microsoft.com/en-in/help/24717/windows-8-1-windows-server-2012-r2-update-history

November 2016 Preview of Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3197875

December 2016 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3205401



Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 crash pointing to EMC PowerPath driver EMCPMPX.SYS. 
Refer to related Link Error ETA 491197: PowerPath for Windows: Microsoft Windows 2012 R2 server generates a blue screen event which may result in a system reboot, potential file loss, and a bugcheck message that identifies EMC PowerPath driver EMCPMPX.SYS for more information.

Windows System Event Log:
26/09/2016 1:30:17 AM Microsoft-Windows-WindowsUpdateC Information 43 ServerName. Installation Started: Windows has started installing the following update: Security Update for Windows (KB3185331)
26/09/2016 8:00:04 AM Microsoft-Windows-WER-SystemErro Error 1001 ServerName The computer has rebooted from a bugcheck. The bugcheck was: 0x000000d1 (0xffffe001221f1000, 0x0000000000000002, 0x0000000000000000, 0xfffff801f2608e81). A dump was saved in: C:\Windows\MEMORY.DMP. Report Id: 092616-92546-01.
27/09/2016 8:45:51 AM Microsoft-Windows-WER-SystemErro Error 1001 ServerName The computer has rebooted from a bugcheck. The bugcheck was: 0x000000d1 (0xffffe8015cc0f000, 0x0000000000000002, 0x0000000000000000, 0xfffff800a7f4ee81). A dump was saved in: C:\Windows\MEMORY.DMP. Report Id: 092716-576703-01.


Bug Check (Blue Screen crash error)
BugCheck D1, {ffffe8015cc0f000, 2, 0, fffff800a7f4ee81}
*** ERROR: Symbol file could not be found. Defaulted to export symbols for EmcpMpx.sys - 
*** ERROR: Symbol file could not be found. Defaulted to export symbols for MPIO.SYS - 
Probably caused by : EmcpMpx.sys ( EmcpMpx!EmcpMpxLogPlatfEvent+3f99 )


This issue will affect all current PowerPath versions.
PowerPath for Windows 5.X SPX
PowerPath for Windows 6.0 SPX

Cause

A new Microsoft MPIO.SYS file was recently released with some Security updates (KB3185279, KB3185331, KB3192404, KB3197875, KB3197874, KB3205401). Microsoft made some fundamental changes in the code that causes PowerPath to fail and Blue Screen the server.

Resolution

Workaround:  Remove the above fixes, and reboot the server.

Fix1:  If the above fixes were removed they can now be reapplied, the host rebooted, and then either
OR

Fix2:  If the above fix KB3210063 cannot be applied for any reason then PowerPath 6.1 can be used with the previously mentioned Microsoft KBs without the previously mentioned symptoms.

Note: The safest method to upgrade this configuration avoiding potential bluescreens is as follows:
1. Upgrade PowerPath to 6.1 first and reboot.
2. Apply the rollup KBs KB3185279, KB3185331, KB3192404, KB3197875, KB3197874 as desired and reboot.
3. Apply MS KB3210063 and reboot.

Additional Information

It's possible you may check the host and not see the hotfix installed. The server may have rebooted before registering the MS KB.
Look for events in the System Event log under source "Microsoft-Windows-WindowsUpdateC" and look for one of the 4 x MS hotfixes mentioned above.
Microsoft assistance may be required to uninstall a non registered hotfix.

Article Properties


Product

PowerPath for Windows

Last Published Date

20 Nov 2020

Version

2

Article Type

Solution