What does BSOD 191 (MUTEX_ALREADY_OWNED) mean?

 
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ERROR_INVALID_EXE_SIGNATUREWin32 errorWindows
STATUS_ABANDONED_WAIT_63NTSTATUSWindows
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MUTEX_ALREADY_OWNED

The MUTEX_ALREADY_OWNED bug check has a value of 0x000000BF. This indicates that a thread attempted to acquire ownership of a mutex it already owned.

Important

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

MUTEX_ALREADY_OWNED Parameters

Parameter Description

1

The address of the mutex

2

The thread that caused the error

3

0

4

Reserved

Dump evidence for MUTEX_ALREADY_OWNED

For MUTEX_ALREADY_OWNED, preserve the complete dump, the four bug-check parameters, the exact Windows build, loaded-module list, and the event timeline immediately before the stop. AllStat summarizes the condition as “MUTEX_ALREADY_OWNED”; that sentence identifies the failure class, while the parameters and stack determine which object, driver, processor, or subsystem instance was involved.

Analysis order for MUTEX_ALREADY_OWNED

  • Run WinDbg !analyze -v, then inspect the documented meaning of each MUTEX_ALREADY_OWNED parameter instead of relying only on the probably-caused-by line.
  • Find the earliest abnormal event: driver update, firmware change, device reset, storage error, verifier report, resource exhaustion, or application hang connected with mutex / already / owned.
  • For MUTEX_ALREADY_OWNED, keep third-party filter, security, storage, graphics, and virtualization drivers in the module inventory; removing evidence before dump analysis can obscure the responsible path.

Do not repeatedly reboot a machine affected by MUTEX_ALREADY_OWNED before collecting the dump and event logs. For MUTEX_ALREADY_OWNED, recovery actions should follow the component identified by the stack and parameters, not merely the symbolic stop-code name.


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