Smart card power down behavior on Windows 2000 and earlier operating systems (297854)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Driver Development Kit (DDK)
  • Microsoft Windows 98 Driver Development Kit (DDK)
  • Microsoft Windows ME Driver Development Kit (DDK)
This article was previously published under Q297854

SYMPTOMS

This article describes the behavior of the smart card power down sequence on the following operating systems:
  • Microsoft Windows 2000
  • Microsoft Windows 98
  • Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition

Windows 2000

Just after you insert a smart card in the reader, a smart card driver may receive a IOCTL_SMARTCARD_POWER request that contains the minor code SCARD_POWER_DOWN.

Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition

This behavior is not evident on either Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition.

CAUSE

This varying behavior occurs because of differences in how the smart card resource managers on the different operating systems send I/O controls (IOCTLs) to the smart card drivers.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

Windows 2000

When you insert a smart card, the smart card resource manager powers the card to obtain the answer to reset (ATR) data. If no application calls the SCardConnect function within a short period of time, the Resource Manager sends IOCTL_SMARTCARD_POWER with minor code SCARD_POWER_DOWN to power down the card. The Resource Manager also sends this IOCTL to power down the card after the last connection has been closed by a call to the SCardDisconnect function.

Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition

The Resource Manager does not send these IOCTLs to power down the card under these conditions.

REFERENCES

For more information about smart card drivers, see the Driver Development Kit for either Windows 98 or for Windows 2000.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:12/23/2003
Keywords:kbSmartCard kbDDK kbprb KB297854 kbAudDeveloper
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