PRB: Memory Leak When a Fiber Exits the Thread (185231)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API), when used with:
- the operating system: Microsoft Windows NT 3.51
- the operating system: Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
- the operating system: Microsoft Windows 2000
- the operating system: Microsoft Windows XP
This article was previously published under Q185231 SYMPTOMS
A small amount of memory is leaked when a fiber causes a thread to exit.
CAUSE
When a thread is converted to a fiber through ConvertThreadToFiber() or
when a new fiber is created through CreateFiber(), an internal fiber data
structure is allocated and a pointer to this data structure is returned to
the calling program. However, when a fiber causes a thread to exit, either
through calling DeleteFiber() on itself or simply exiting, the system fails
to release the internal fiber data structure allocated for the fiber.
Note that the associated fiber data structure is correctly freed if
DeleteFiber() is called on another fiber.
RESOLUTION
Call LocalFree() passing the LPVOID value returned by CreateFiber() or
ConvertThreadToFiber() to free the fiber data structure just before
exiting.
STATUS
Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in
the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.
MORE INFORMATION
Usually this is not a problem if you use fibers as intended. Fibers are
designed to be employed by a single-threaded application, in which case the
leak will never occur. However, if threads with fibers are started and
terminated repeatedly, this can cause accumulation of memory leaks and will
eventually cause the process to run out of memory.
| Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 3/16/2004 |
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| Keywords: | kbAPI kbKernBase kbprb kbThread KB185231 |
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