BUG: ReadFile Timeout on Mailslot Causes Memory Leak
Article ID: 177329
Article Last Modified on 11/21/2006
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface, when used with:
- Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release
This article was previously published under Q177329
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.
Keywords: kbbug KB177329