Windows Server 2019: Significant Non-Paged Pool Memory Leak Installing KB5041578
Windows Server 2019 domain controllers may experience a significant Non-Paged Pool memory leak after installing the KB5041578 Servicing Stack Update (10.0.17763.6174). This article will provide a detailed overview of the issue and potential solutions.
Understanding Non-Paged Pool Memory
In Windows operating systems, memory is divided into two categories: Paged Pool and Non-Paged Pool. Paged Pool memory can be written to the disk when the system runs low on physical memory, while Non-Paged Pool memory cannot be written to the disk and must remain in physical memory. Non-Paged Pool memory is used for critical system operations, such as holding the network adapter's driver data and the system registry.
When a Non-Paged Pool memory leak occurs, it can cause the system to become unstable and may eventually result in a crash. In the case of the KB5041578 update, the memory leak is caused by a bug in the update itself, which results in excessive allocation of Non-Paged Pool memory.
Identifying the Issue
To identify if the Non-Paged Pool memory leak is caused by the KB5041578 update, you can use the Windows Task Manager or the Performance Monitor tool. In the Task Manager, you can sort the Processes tab by the Memory (Private Working Set) column to see which processes are consuming the most memory. If the System process is consuming a large amount of memory, it may indicate a Non-Paged Pool memory leak.
To confirm the issue, you can use the Performance Monitor tool to view the Non-Paged Pool memory usage. To do this, open the Performance Monitor tool, click on the Performance Monitor button, and then add the "\Memory\Nonpaged Pool Bytes" counter. If the value of this counter is consistently increasing, it may indicate a Non-Paged Pool memory leak.
Potential Solutions
Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and has provided a workaround for the Non-Paged Pool memory leak caused by the KB5041578 update. The workaround involves installing the update on a non-domain controller member server first, and then installing it on the domain controllers. This will help to reduce the likelihood of the memory leak occurring.
If the memory leak has already occurred, you can try the following steps to resolve the issue:
- Restart the domain controller. This will release the allocated Non-Paged Pool memory and may resolve the issue.
- Uninstall the KB5041578 update. This will remove the update and the associated memory leak. However, it is important to note that uninstalling the update may leave the system vulnerable to security issues that the update was intended to address.
- Install the latest cumulative update. Microsoft has released a cumulative update that addresses the Non-Paged Pool memory leak issue. Installing this update will resolve the issue and provide the latest security updates for the system.
References
- Microsoft Support: KB5001403 Cumulative Update for Windows Server 2019
- Microsoft Support: