INFO: SetErrorMode() Is Inherited

ID: Q105304

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API), used with:
- Microsoft Windows NT, versions 3.1, 3.5, 3.51
- Microsoft Windows 95

An application can use SetErrorMode() to control whether the operating system handles serious errors or whether the application itself will handle the errors.

NOTE: The error mode will be inherited by any child process. However, the child process may not be prepared to handle the error return codes. As a result, the application may die during a critical error without the usual error message popups occurring.

This behavior is by design.

One solution is to call SetErrorMode() before and after the call to CreateProcess() in order to control the error mode that is passed to the child. Be aware that this process must be synchronized in a multithreaded application.

There is another solution available in Windows NT 3.5 and later. CreateProcess() has a new flag CREATE_DEFAULT_ERROR_MODE that can be used to control the error mode of the child process.

SUMMARY

Additional query words: 3.10 3.50 4.00

Keywords :
Version : winnt:3.1,3.5,3.51
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbinfo