Core issue
%SYS-2-BADSHARE: Bad refcount in [chars], ptr=[hex], count=[hex]
A reference count is used to track the usage of many data structures. A function increments the count when it begins to use a structure and decrements it when it is finished. When the count becomes zero, the data structure is freed. When the count is accessed, it is found to be negative, which means that the data structure is not freed until the system is re-loaded. The error message indicates that the process is trying to free a packet which no one is referencing.
This is always a software bug.
Resolution
Normally, this is an informational error, and it should not affect the switch performance, except for the overhead of reporting the error.
To fix this problem, perform one of these procedures:
- Upgrade to the latest Cisco IOS Software available.
If the problem persists, open a case with TAC.