I have a virtual server running Windows Server 2012 with SQL Server 2012 on it.  Recently I went to open SSMS and it caused the entire server to freeze.  I can't click on anything- nothing in SSMS, on my desktop, my taskbar, or anywhere else.  All I can do is close the remote desktop window, log in as a different user and restart the server to get it to unfreeze.  I found that I can use keyboard arrows for basic navigation within SSMS and the Enter key to Connect to the database but that's it.  I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling the software with no luck.  Event Viewer doesn't log any errors.

We use this server for GIS data so ESRI's ArcSDE programs are also running on the machine- they are acting buggy for some users but not others.  I don't know if this is related.  We've also been having issues with the backups from vRanger which have caused random server crashes.  Our Server/Network Admin has temporarily disabled backups.  I'm afraid the instability has messed something up at a deeper level but I don't know where to start looking.  Any advice would be appreciated.

Christina

Although it could be a problem with the SSMS program, it is more likely an "out of resources" issue.  Either it is page swapping or CPU or Disk IO is 100%.  Have you looked at the performance counters?

I would agree with Tom that the VM gets overtaxed when you start SSMS. How much memory is allocated to it?

Overall, I recommend not to run SSMS directly on the machine where SQL Server is running, since SSMS make take resources. This is particularly important if the machine only has a small amount of memory like 4GB.

Once I open SSMS, the entire server becomes unusable so I can't get to the performance counters.  When I log in as another user the task manager shows that the user with SSMS open has 40MB allocated to it.  Any thoughts where else I can look to try to debug this?

The machine does only have 4GB memory- I am waiting for my Server Admin to bump it up to 8.

The GIS people have wanted to have all their software running directly on the server, including SSMS, based on recommendations from their ESRI consultant.  I will ask again why this is necessary.

The GIS people have wanted to have all their software running directly on the server, including SSMS, based on recommendations from their ESRI consultant.  I will ask again why this is necessary.

No matter what the consultant says, you can always connect to the server from another machine. (Unless the instance is configured to not accept remote connections.)

While waiting for the server admin to increase the memory of the VM, you can connect to the server with SQLCMD from the command line and issue these commands:

EXEC sp_configure 'max server memory', 2000
RECONFIGURE
go

This restricts how much memory SQL Server can consume, and you should now be able to run SSMS on the server. The performance of SQL Server may suffer, though.

When you get more memory, run the commands above again, but with 6000 instead of 2000.

Once I open SSMS, the entire server becomes unusable so I can't get to the performance counters.  When I log in as another user the task manager shows that the user with SSMS open has 40MB allocated to it.  Any thoughts where else I can look to try to debug this?

If other users are able to load SSMS without any problems, then it has be something with your windows profile and/or SSMS settings. Did you change the default colors that you use or any other settings in SSMS? Also, check if the following article applies to you: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2908806

I've done as you recommended, but when I open SSMS it still freezes the entire machine :(  My Server Admin has upped the memory to 8GB and it's still happening.  Any other thoughts?

If other users are able to load SSMS without any problems, then it has be something with your windows profile and/or SSMS settings. Did you change the default colors that you use or any other settings in SSMS?

      Actually, no users are able to load SSMS on the server.  No defaults have been changed that I know of.

So that's bad.

Let me see if I get a better understanding of what is happening. You say that SSMS freezes the entire server, but then you say that you close the remote desktop session and kill the hung session. That contradicts the statement that the enitre server would be frozen. That is, other users are still able to work on the server, and SQL Server is still responsive?

To me it sounds like it is more the  interplay between SSMS and the Remote Desktop session that breaks down.

What virutalisation software do you use?

We are having similar issues.   If I run SQL Management Studio 2012 on a virtual server 2012 (non-R2) the mouse will stop responding.  Keyboard input works so I can use ALT+F4 to close the application and sign out.  If I run SSMS as administrator we do not have his behavior.  I am curious if the original poster has tried to run SSMS as administrator and sees the same behavior?  This all started after applying windows updates several weeks ago.  The user signed into the machine is a local administrator.  SSMS has to be launched with elevated rights for the mouse to function.  Is there a fix in place for this issue?

SQL Management Studio  - 11.0.58.0

Microsoft .Net Framework - 4.0.30319.34209

Server 2012 (non R2) -  6.2.9200

What is the virtualisation software? Hyper-V, VMware or something else?

We are seeing the same symptoms on a system running ESXI 5.5 U2, Windows Server Standard 2012, SQL 2012 11.0.5548, SQL Management Studio 11.0.5548, .net 4.0.30319.34209.  It started after installing February updates.

I'm having the same issue. I found a tablet input process in task manager that I killed - Looks like the mouse is working now. I assume that process would be created by the tablet testing application that comes with ArcGIS.

Hope this helps!

I have a very strange similar issue.

I have a Physical Windows 2012 server and I remote in and everything is fine. I open SQL Management Studio, the mouse stops working. I can move it around but the input is not detected. 

Here is the strange thing. If I open System Properties, Computer management or something like that. The mouse works in that "Active Window". If I switch back to SQL it stops. I can ALT+TAB back and it works again in the other Active Window. Mouse just not liking SQL Management Studio.

Also, when I open Task Manager, the scroll wheel works but not right or left clicking. I killed both tablet services and the RDP clipboard and still not working.

Anyone found a patch or a Windows Update that is causing this?

• Edited by DTMAN1 12 hours 1 minutes ago

I'm having the same issue. I found a tablet input process in task manager that I killed - Looks like the mouse is working now. I assume that process would be created by the tablet testing application that comes with ArcGIS.

Hope this helps!

• Marked as answer by ChristinaSem Friday, April 03, 2015 3:04 PM

I have a very strange similar issue.

I have a Physical Windows 2012 server and I remote in and everything is fine. I open SQL Management Studio, the mouse stops working. I can move it around but the input is not detected. 

Here is the strange thing. If I open System Properties, Computer management or something like that. The mouse works in that "Active Window". If I switch back to SQL it stops. I can ALT+TAB back and it works again in the other Active Window. Mouse just not liking SQL Management Studio.

Also, when I open Task Manager, the scroll wheel works but not right or left clicking. I killed both tablet services and the RDP clipboard and still not working.

Anyone found a patch or a Windows Update that is causing this?

• Edited by DTMAN1 Friday, March 06, 2015 8:01 PM

I had the same issue (mouse is partially disabled, but keyboard works) and as Jengwer pointed out in the post above, killing the Tablet Input process fixed the problem!

In Task Manager close the process called "wisptis.exe" and mouse works again. 

I am unsure how to disable this permanently however.

Hope this helps.  

• Proposed as answer by DTMAN1 Thursday, March 26, 2015 5:43 PM
• Unproposed as answer by DTMAN1 Friday, March 27, 2015 11:39 AM
• Marked as answer by ChristinaSem Friday, April 03, 2015 3:04 PM

Found this online. I patched my server and rebooted and so far it is working.

http://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3026376

In case you don't have access to MS support.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=3026376&kbln=en-us

• Proposed as answer by DTMAN1 Thursday, March 26, 2015 5:44 PM
• Edited by DTMAN1 Friday, March 27, 2015 1:07 AM

<blockquote>I'm having the same issue. I found a tablet input process in task manager that I killed - Looks like the mouse is working now. I assume that process would be created by the tablet testing application that comes with ArcGIS.

Hope this helps!</blockquote>

Thanks!  This does seem to be the culprit.  We are contacting ESRI Support about the issue- one question, is the tablet app with ArcGIS desktop or with the ArcSDE server software?

I had the same issue with windows server 2012 / ssms 2014.

killing wisptis.exe preemptively also prevents the problem from occurring.

I have done it as per your instruction. it is started to work 

thank you very much for your useful information...

Best Regards,

Amanulla

Jeddah

Thanks all of you for the useful information!  This was a huge problem for us because everytime we would open Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 on Windows Server 2012 we would lose mouse control.  This was a life saver as we have no other work around.

Now someone please find a way to stop this process from starting!   not available for us because it is a VM on some machines and Hyper-V on others (not able t o customize start up services) that I know of anyway.. ie. MS Config etc....Its not a tablet its a server Microsoft take this away please, its not Windows 8.