PRB: Top Level Window Does Not Receive WM_ENDSESSION Messages

ID: Q197630

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit (SDK) on the following platform: NT

SYMPTOMS

On Windows NT, the top-level window in an application that has called AllocConsole does not receive the WM_QUERYENDSESSION and WM_ENDSESSION messages.

CAUSE

The Windows NT shutdown process examines each process to determine if it is a console or GUI process. If any application has created a console using AllocConsole, the shutdown routine "sees" the application as a console application and does not send the WM_QUERYENDSESSION and WM_ENDSESSION messages.

RESOLUTION

This problem can be worked around by calling SetConsoleCtrlHandler to install a console handler routine. This handler routine is called by the system in response to certain events. The two events of interest in this case are CTRL_EVENT_LOGOFF and CTRL_EVENT_SHUTDOWN.

STATUS

This behavior is by design and has been present at least since Windows NT version 3.1.

Additional query words: kbDSupport

Keywords          : kbNTOS kbSDKPlatform kbGrpUser kbWndw kbWndwMsg 
Version           : WINDOWS:
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: December 21, 1998