Error: "SmartHeap Library - Mem_bad_pointer"

(Last modified: 11Feb2002)

This document (10015464) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

fact

Microsoft Windows 95

Microsoft Windows 98

Clients for Windows 95/98

Formerly TID 2950672

symptom

Error: "SmartHeap Library - Mem_bad_pointer"

Error: "This program performs an illegal operation and will be shut down."

The error happens upon workstation boot up.

Error: "NPTWIN95 caused an illegal page fault in module KERNEL32.DLL"

Same error occurs by exiting out of the NPRINTER manager after manually loading NPTWIN95.EXE.

Loads NPTWIM95.EXE with the /EXIT parameter from the Startup folder.

No error if NPTWIN95.EXE is not loaded.

Error message occurred after installing new application such as Microsoft Internet Explorer.

cause

An older version of the SmartHeap library (SH30W32.DLL) is being used in an environment where it is no longer compatible.

Background:
 
The NWCOMN95.DLL library (a Novell-supplied .DLL) used the SmartHeap v3.01 library (SH30W32.DLL) for enhancing memory management. This release of the SmartHeap library from 1995/1996 has unavoidable incompatibilities with later versions of C runtime libraries, which results in issues such as the "MEM_BAD_POINTER" message when C runtime or other dependant files are updated.
 
Note that this is not a failure of the SmartHeap library; just a factor related to the age of the SmartHeap library NWCOMN95.DLL was using and still attempting to run such a version on a current Windows platform. There is every reason to believe these issues would be resolved if NWCOMN95.DLL was recompiled to use a current release of the SmartHeap library updated to work with current Windows platforms and C runtimes.
 
Instead of taking that direction, in 1998 the NWCOMN95.DLL was replaced with DPCOMN95.DLL. This file was designed to handle memory management without SmartHeap, and NPTWIN95.EXE 29MAY1998 was designed to use DPCOMN95.DLL instead of NWCOMN95.DLL. As such, with the NPTWIN95.EXE 29MAY1998 release and it's supporting files, there was no longer any dependancy or use of the SH30W32.DLL library nor any need to update to a more current version of the SmartHeap library.
 
The versions of NPTWIN95.EXE available prior to Novell NetWare 5.0, including the NPTWIN95.EXE 30JUL1996 available for download from Novell as NPTR95.EXE, were versions designed to use NWCOMN95.DLL and SH30W32.DLL. As such, customers using those versions of NPTWIN95.EXE on Windows 98 Second Edition and/or with later versions of applications that update the Windows C runtime modules (such as Microsoft Internet Explorer) can suddenly encounter issues such as the "MEM_BAD_POINTER" message.
 
To prevent and/or resolve these issues, customers who still employ NPTWIN95.EXE to provide access to workstation-connected printers should update to the NPTWIN95.EXE 29MAY1998 (or later) and its included support files.

fix

Use NPTWIN95.EXE 29MAY1998 (or later) and its included support files. NPTWIN95.EXE 29MAY1998 ships with Novell NetWare 5.0 and later in the SYS:PUBLIC\WIN95 directory.  NPTWIN95.EXE 29MAY1998 is also available for download as NPTR95B.EXE form the Novell Support Connection File Finder or here.

document

Document Title:	Error: "SmartHeap Library - Mem_bad_pointer"
Document ID:	10015464
Solution ID:	4.0.42072157.2300166
Creation Date:	31Aug1999
Modified Date:	11Feb2002
Novell Product Class:	Management Products NetWare Novell BorderManager Services

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