Several customers report having received fatal system errors (also known as stop errors, STOP errors, or "the blue screen") on Windows 7 (both 32-bit and 64-bit) after installing SAS 9.3 (TS1M2). Once the error occurs, a reboot is required.

The issue is not caused by the SAS installation. It is caused by the original version of security update 2753842, which you can read about in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS12-078. The original version of the security patch can cause a variety of Open Type Fonts to stop working after the update has been installed. Note: A newer version of the security update, released on December 20, 2012 does not cause the problem.

SAS has opened an incident report with Microsoft to help address this issue. SAS and Microsoft agree on the steps offered here.

The problem has occurred on FireFox, Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook, Adobe, and other applications that query fonts.

To correct this issue, check the date of the Security Update KB2753842 using the following steps:

1. Click Start and select Control Panel.
2. In the upper right corner, click View by: and select Large icons.
3. Select Programs and Features.
4. Click View installed updates. (You can also reach this location by searching for View Installed Updates from the Start menu.)
5. Scroll down to Security Update KB2753842 and scroll to the right if necessary to verify that the date is December 20, 2012, or later.
   • If it is, then continue on to the next section in this Problem Note, "The Windows Kernel-Mode Driver MS13-016 Can Also Cause the Problem."
   • If it is not, right-click on the update and select Uninstall. And then install the latest Security Update from the Microsoft website.

The Windows Kernel-Mode Driver MS13-016 Can Also Cause the Problem

Another issue with the same symptoms is caused by vulnerabilities in Windows kernel-mode driver MS13-016.

To verify that this is the issue on your machine, follow these steps:

1. Bring up Windows Explorer: Right-click the Start button and select Open Windows Explorer.
2. Navigate to the C:\Windows\System32 directory, right-click win32k.sys, and select Properties.
3. In the win32k.sys Properties dialog box, click the Details tab:



4. Check the value for File version.
   • If it is 6.1.7601.18043 or greater, you do not need to make any changes.
   • If it is less than 6.1.7601.18043, you need to install the appropriate fix for your Windows operating system MS13-016. After installing this, reboot your system.

Corrupted SAS Fonts

In some cases, the SAS fonts might become corrupted on a system that had either of the issues described above. If you have purchased SAS, the fonts are part of your order, and a backup copy is stored on your machine. You can legally replace the corrupted font files with backup font files if they are already on your machine. Replace the font files as follows.

Replace the fonts that are in the C:\Windows\Fonts directory with the fonts that are in the !SASHome\ReportFontsforClients\9.3\SystemFonts\backup directory. The default location is C:\Program Files\SASHome\ReportFontsforClients\9.3\SystemFonts\backup.

Operating System and Release Information

Product Family	Product	System	Product Release		SAS Release
			Reported	Fixed*	Reported	Fixed*
SAS System	Base SAS	Windows 7 Ultimate x64	9.3_M2		9.3 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit	9.3_M2		9.3 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Professional x64	9.3_M2		9.3 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Professional 32 bit	9.3_M2		9.3 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Home Premium x64	9.3_M2		9.3 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit	9.3_M2		9.3 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Enterprise x64	9.3_M2		9.3 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Enterprise 32 bit	9.3_M2		9.3 TS1M2

* For software releases that are not yet generally available, the Fixed Release is the software release in which the problem is planned to be fixed.

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The combination of Microsoft Security Update KB2753842 and SAS 9.3 might cause your system to stop (sometimes called a blue screen or STOP error).

Type:	Problem Note
Priority:	alert

Date Modified:	2013-04-25 14:46:44
Date Created:	2013-03-07 07:50:02