Microsoft KB Archive/177329

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BUG: ReadFile Timeout on Mailslot Causes Memory Leak

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Q177329

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API), included with:
 * Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release
 * Microsoft Windows 95

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SYMPTOMS
If a mailslot is created using CreateMailslot API with a timeout value greater than zero, the ReadFile API leaks memory when the timeout expires and the function returns FALSE. After many calls to the ReadFile API, the system becomes unstable and subsequent ReadFile API calls whose timers expire will start returning TRUE. As a result, the system will no longer be able to execute other DOS applications.

RESOLUTION
To work around this, create the mailslot with either a zero or MAILSLOT_WAIT_FOREVER timeout value. This means that a ReadFile API call will block until there is data to be read from the mailslot.

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

Additional query words:

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Issue type : kbbug

Technology : kbAudDeveloper kbWin32sSearch kbWin32API