Bug Check 0x4000008A: THREAD_TERMINATE_HELD_MUTEX

The THREAD_TERMINATE_HELD_MUTEX bug check has a value of 0x4000008A. This indicates that a driver acquired a mutex on a thread that exited before the mutex could be released. This can be caused by a driver returning to user mode without releasing a mutex or by a driver acquiring a mutex and then causing an exception that results in the thread it is running on, being terminated.

Important

This article is for programmers. If you're a customer who has received a blue screen error code while using your computer, see Troubleshoot blue screen errors.

THREAD_TERMINATE_HELD_MUTEX Parameters

Parameter	Description
1	The address of the KTHREAD that owns the KMUTEX.
2	The address of the KMUTEX that is owned.
3	Reserved
4	Reserved

Cause

The !analyze debug extension displays information about the bug check and can be helpful in determining the root cause.

To investigate, look at the callstack. If there is a driver on the stack that is directly followed by system exception handling routines and then thread termination routines, this driver is at fault and needs to be fixed so that it does not cause an unhandled exception while holding a kernel mutex. If the stack just shows normal thread termination code and no driver is implicated, run !pool or use ln (List Nearest Symbols) on the address of the mutex (parameter 2) and see if you can discover who owns the it. This bug will almost certainly be in the code of the owner of that mutex.