Is it possible to log the mounter driver operation? (aim_ll -a -P not leading to automount)

[jrmoore]

Hi, I am using the following command line arguments to create a RAM drive that doesn't page to disk -a -f \\?\vhdaccess\??\awealloc\??\C:\Stuff\RAMDisk.vhd -m R:

That template is used and a RAM disk appears at R:\, although a non-fatal error appears most of the time (a cursory look at the source of aim_ll indicates the SetVolumeMountPoint() system call is what leads to it, perhaps some race condition):

C:\Windows\system32>aim_ll -a -f \\?\vhdaccess\??\awealloc\??\C:\Stuff\RAMDisk.vhd -m R: -P
Creating device...
Created device 000100 -> \\?\vhdaccess\??\awealloc\??\C:\Stuff\RAMDisk.vhd
Saving registry settings...
Device is \\?\PhysicalDrive4
Attached disk volume \\?\Volume{ba0c38bf-0000-0000-0000-100000000000}
Error setting volume '\\?\Volume{ba0c38bf-0000-0000-0000-100000000000}\'
mount point to 'R:\': The directory is not empty.
Done.

C:\Windows\system32>echo %errorlevel%
0

The RAM disk VHD template is in a folder any user can access and the file itself is also accessible by anyone:

C:\Windows\system32>icacls C:\Stuff\

C:\Stuff\ BUILTIN\Administrators:(I)(OI)(CI)(F)
          NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(I)(OI)(CI)(F)
          BUILTIN\Users:(I)(OI)(CI)(RX)
          NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users:(I)(M)
          NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users:(I)(OI)(CI)(IO)(M)

C:\Windows\system32>icacls C:\Stuff\RAMDisk.vhd

C:\Stuff\RAMDisk.vhd BUILTIN\Administrators:(I)(F)
                     NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(I)(F)
                     BUILTIN\Users:(I)(RX)
                     NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users:(I)(M)

The registry entry for the driver seems to be populated correctly, there are 4 new values added to the Parameters key:

However, after a system restart the driver isn't automounting the volume, it gets loaded, awealloc as well, but the volume isn't added. I noticed a value named DebugLevel as part of the parameters set to 0xFF and I was wondering if it could be used to troubleshoot why it isn't.

I am using the low level interface, I also looked at the proper AIM program, but it seems not to expose an option to use AWE allocation, I understand the memory can't be prevented from being paged then, and its automount feature doesn't rely on the driver parameters, it seems to be tied to the GUI program executing.

[LTRData]

Yes, unfortunately, the -P switch is not implemented for aim_ll. This is also indicated in the command line help shown with aim_ll --help. I recommend setting up a scheduled task instead that runs your aim_ll command line. I have used that for many years on many different machines and it has always worked perfectly.

Regarding the error with assigning drive letters, I think you have somehow both assigned that driver letter using mount manager using mountvol command line or in Disk Management, and also specified it at aim_ll command line. This is unnecessary and in many cases the drive letter has already been assigned by mount manager in Windows when aim_ll calls to assign it. So, I think you could simply remove -m R: from your command line to avoid this.