Microsoft KB Archive/831191

= FIX: JScript leaks memory when an application repeatedly creates and destroys threads =

Article ID: 831191

Article Last Modified on 8/29/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft JScript 5.5
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Web Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise x64 Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Datacenter Edition
 * Microsoft Windows XP Professional
 * Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
 * Microsoft Windows XP Professional for Itanium-based systems
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition

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SYMPTOMS
If you use the Microsoft JScript engine on a thread and the thread is destroyed, approximately 150 bytes of heap memory are leaked. Typically, this behavior does not cause a problem. However, if an application repeatedly creates and destroys threads many times, and if the application uses JScript on those threads, the memory usage increase may be sufficient to decrease the performance of the system.



Software update information
A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem, submit a request to Microsoft Online Customer Services to obtain the hotfix. To submit an online request to obtain the hotfix, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6294451

Note If additional issues occur or any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. To create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Prerequisites
You must have Microsoft JScript 5.6 installed on the system before you apply this software update. Microsoft JScript 5.1 is not affected by this problem and does not require this software update.

Restart requirement
You do not have to restart your computer after you apply this software update if the JScript.dll file is not in use when you apply this software update.

Software update replacement Information
This software update does not replace any other software updates.

File information
The English version of this software update has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.   Date         Time   Version     Size    File name 18-Nov-2003 16:25  5.6.0.8820  446,464  Jscript.dll



WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, do not create and destroy large numbers of threads. When you use thread pools (when you reuse existing threads) you use the operating system more efficiently.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the &quot;Applies to&quot; section of this article.

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post more information in this article when the information becomes available.



MORE INFORMATION
When you monitor the memory usage of an application, monitor both the Private Bytes and Virtual Bytes counters of the Process object in Performance Monitor. The memory that an application uses may increase and decrease significantly while the application runs. Valid reasons may exist that cause the memory that an application uses to increase over time.

To make sure that the problem that this article describes is causing a specific memory leak, you must repeat the suspected operation (in this case, creating a thread, using JScript on the thread, and then destroying the thread again) many thousands of times to determine whether the memory usage fluctuations are the program's typical behavior.

For additional information about the terminology that is used to describe Microsoft product updates, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

824684 Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates

Keywords: kbhotfixserver kbqfe kbbug kbqfe kbfix KB831191

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