AbandonedMutexException Class

Definition

Namespace:

System.Threading

Assembly:

System.Threading.dll

Source:

AbandonedMutexException.cs

The exception that is thrown when one thread acquires a Mutex object that another thread has abandoned by exiting without releasing it.

public ref class AbandonedMutexException : SystemException

public class AbandonedMutexException : SystemException

type AbandonedMutexException = class
    inherit SystemException

Public Class AbandonedMutexException
Inherits SystemException

Inheritance

Object

Exception

SystemException

AbandonedMutexException

Examples

The following code example executes a thread that abandons five mutexes, demonstrating their effects on the WaitOne, WaitAny, and WaitAll methods. The value of the MutexIndex property is displayed for the WaitAny call.

Note

The call to the WaitAny method is interrupted by one of the abandoned mutexes. The other abandoned mutex could still cause an AbandonedMutexException to be thrown by subsequent wait methods.

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Threading;

namespace SystemThreadingExample
{
    public ref class Example
    {
    private:
        static ManualResetEvent^ dummyEvent = 
            gcnew ManualResetEvent(false);
            
        static Mutex^ orphanMutex1 = gcnew Mutex;
        static Mutex^ orphanMutex2 = gcnew Mutex;
        static Mutex^ orphanMutex3 = gcnew Mutex;
        static Mutex^ orphanMutex4 = gcnew Mutex;
        static Mutex^ orphanMutex5 = gcnew Mutex;
        
    public:
        static void ProduceAbandonMutexException(void)
        {
            
            // Start a thread that grabs all five mutexes, and then
            // abandons them.
            Thread^ abandonThread = 
                gcnew Thread(gcnew ThreadStart(AbandonMutex));

            abandonThread->Start();
            
            // Make sure the thread is finished.
            abandonThread->Join();
            
            // Wait on one of the abandoned mutexes. The WaitOne
            // throws an AbandonedMutexException.
            try
            {
                orphanMutex1->WaitOne();
                Console::WriteLine("WaitOne succeeded.");
            }
            catch (AbandonedMutexException^ ex) 
            {
                Console::WriteLine("Exception in WaitOne: {0}", 
                    ex->Message);
            }
            finally
            {
                
                // Whether or not the exception was thrown, 
                // the current thread owns the mutex, and 
                // must release it.
                orphanMutex1->ReleaseMutex();
            }

            
            // Create an array of wait handles, consisting of one
            // ManualResetEvent and two mutexes, using two more of
            // the abandoned mutexes.
            array <WaitHandle^>^ waitFor = {dummyEvent, 
                orphanMutex2, orphanMutex3};
            
            // WaitAny returns when any of the wait handles in the 
            // array is signaled. Either of the two abandoned mutexes
            // satisfy the wait, but lower of the two index values is
            // returned by MutexIndex. Note that the Try block and
            // the Catch block obtain the index in different ways.
            try
            {
                int index = WaitHandle::WaitAny(waitFor);
                Console::WriteLine("WaitAny succeeded.");
                (safe_cast<Mutex^>(waitFor[index]))->ReleaseMutex();
            }
            catch (AbandonedMutexException^ ex) 
            {
                Console::WriteLine("Exception in WaitAny at index {0}"
                    "\r\n\tMessage: {1}", ex->MutexIndex, 
                    ex->Message);
                (safe_cast<Mutex^>(waitFor[ex->MutexIndex]))->
                    ReleaseMutex();
            }

            orphanMutex3->ReleaseMutex();
            
            // Use two more of the abandoned mutexes for the WaitAll 
            // call. WaitAll doesn't return until all wait handles 
            // are signaled, so the ManualResetEvent must be signaled 
            // by calling Set().
            dummyEvent->Set();
            waitFor[1] = orphanMutex4;
            waitFor[2] = orphanMutex5;
            
            // Because WaitAll requires all the wait handles to be
            // signaled, both mutexes must be released even if the
            // exception is thrown. Thus, the ReleaseMutex calls are 
            // placed in the Finally block. Again, MutexIndex returns
            // the lower of the two index values for the abandoned
            // mutexes.
            //  
            try
            {
                WaitHandle::WaitAll(waitFor);
                Console::WriteLine("WaitAll succeeded.");
            }
            catch (AbandonedMutexException^ ex) 
            {
                Console::WriteLine("Exception in WaitAny at index {0}"
                    "\r\n\tMessage: {1}", ex->MutexIndex, 
                    ex->Message);
            }
            finally
            {
                orphanMutex4->ReleaseMutex();
                orphanMutex5->ReleaseMutex();
            }

        }


    private:
        [MTAThread]
        static void AbandonMutex()
        {
            orphanMutex1->WaitOne();
            orphanMutex2->WaitOne();
            orphanMutex3->WaitOne();
            orphanMutex4->WaitOne();
            orphanMutex5->WaitOne();
            Console::WriteLine(
                "Thread exits without releasing the mutexes.");
        }
    };   
}

//Entry point of example application
[MTAThread]
int main(void)
{
    SystemThreadingExample::Example::ProduceAbandonMutexException();
}

// This code example produces the following output:
// Thread exits without releasing the mutexes.
// Exception in WaitOne: The wait completed due to an abandoned mutex.
// Exception in WaitAny at index 1
//         Message: The wait completed due to an abandoned mutex.
// Exception in WaitAll at index -1
//         Message: The wait completed due to an abandoned mutex.

using System;
using System.Threading;

public class Example
{
    private static ManualResetEvent _dummy = new ManualResetEvent(false);

    private static Mutex _orphan1 = new Mutex();
    private static Mutex _orphan2 = new Mutex();
    private static Mutex _orphan3 = new Mutex();
    private static Mutex _orphan4 = new Mutex();
    private static Mutex _orphan5 = new Mutex();

    [MTAThread]
    public static void Main()
    {
        // Start a thread that takes all five mutexes, and then
        // ends without releasing them.
        //
        Thread t = new Thread(new ThreadStart(AbandonMutex));
        t.Start();
        // Make sure the thread is finished.
        t.Join();

        // Wait on one of the abandoned mutexes. The WaitOne returns
        // immediately, because its wait condition is satisfied by
        // the abandoned mutex, but on return it throws
        // AbandonedMutexException.
        try
        {
            _orphan1.WaitOne();
            Console.WriteLine("WaitOne succeeded.");
        }
        catch(AbandonedMutexException ex)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Exception on return from WaitOne." +
                "\r\n\tMessage: {0}", ex.Message);
        }
        finally
        {
            // Whether or not the exception was thrown, the current
            // thread owns the mutex, and must release it.
            //
            _orphan1.ReleaseMutex();
        }

        // Create an array of wait handles, consisting of one
        // ManualResetEvent and two mutexes, using two more of the
        // abandoned mutexes.
        WaitHandle[] waitFor = {_dummy, _orphan2, _orphan3};

        // WaitAny returns when any of the wait handles in the 
        // array is signaled, so either of the two abandoned mutexes
        // satisfy its wait condition. On returning from the wait,
        // WaitAny throws AbandonedMutexException. The MutexIndex
        // property returns the lower of the two index values for 
        // the abandoned mutexes. Note that the Try block and the
        // Catch block obtain the index in different ways.
        //  
        try
        {
            int index = WaitHandle.WaitAny(waitFor);
            Console.WriteLine("WaitAny succeeded.");

            // The current thread owns the mutex, and must release
            // it.
            Mutex m = waitFor[index] as Mutex;
            if (m != null) m.ReleaseMutex();
        }
        catch(AbandonedMutexException ex)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Exception on return from WaitAny at index {0}." +
                "\r\n\tMessage: {1}", ex.MutexIndex, ex.Message);

            // Whether or not the exception was thrown, the current
            // thread owns the mutex, and must release it.
            //
            if (ex.Mutex != null) ex.Mutex.ReleaseMutex();
        }

        // Use two more of the abandoned mutexes for the WaitAll call.
        // WaitAll doesn't return until all wait handles are signaled,
        // so the ManualResetEvent must be signaled by calling Set().
        _dummy.Set();
        waitFor[1] = _orphan4;
        waitFor[2] = _orphan5;

        // The signaled event and the two abandoned mutexes satisfy
        // the wait condition for WaitAll, but on return it throws
        // AbandonedMutexException. For WaitAll, the MutexIndex
        // property is always -1 and the Mutex property is always
        // null.
        //  
        try
        {
            WaitHandle.WaitAll(waitFor);
            Console.WriteLine("WaitAll succeeded.");
        }
        catch(AbandonedMutexException ex)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Exception on return from WaitAll. MutexIndex = {0}." +
                "\r\n\tMessage: {1}", ex.MutexIndex, ex.Message);
        }
        finally
        {
            // Whether or not the exception was thrown, the current
            // thread owns the mutexes, and must release them.
            //
            _orphan4.ReleaseMutex();
            _orphan5.ReleaseMutex();
        }
    }

    [MTAThread]
    public static void AbandonMutex()
    {
        _orphan1.WaitOne();
        _orphan2.WaitOne();
        _orphan3.WaitOne();
        _orphan4.WaitOne();
        _orphan5.WaitOne();
        // Abandon the mutexes by exiting without releasing them.
        Console.WriteLine("Thread exits without releasing the mutexes.");
    }
}

/* This code example produces the following output:

Thread exits without releasing the mutexes.
Exception on return from WaitOne.
        Message: The wait completed due to an abandoned mutex.
Exception on return from WaitAny at index 1.
        Message: The wait completed due to an abandoned mutex.
Exception on return from WaitAll. MutexIndex = -1.
        Message: The wait completed due to an abandoned mutex.
 */

Option Explicit
Imports System.Threading

Public Class Example
    Private Shared _dummy As New ManualResetEvent(False)

    Private Shared _orphan1 As New Mutex()
    Private Shared _orphan2 As New Mutex()
    Private Shared _orphan3 As New Mutex()
    Private Shared _orphan4 As New Mutex()
    Private Shared _orphan5 As New Mutex()

    <MTAThread> _
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        ' Start a thread that takes all five mutexes, and then
        ' ends without releasing them.
        '
        Dim t As New Thread(AddressOf AbandonMutex)
        t.Start()
        ' Make sure the thread is finished.
        t.Join()

        ' Wait on one of the abandoned mutexes. The WaitOne returns
        ' immediately, because its wait condition is satisfied by
        ' the abandoned mutex, but on return it throws
        ' AbandonedMutexException.
        Try
            _orphan1.WaitOne()
            Console.WriteLine("WaitOne succeeded.")
        Catch ex As AbandonedMutexException
            Console.WriteLine("Exception on return from WaitOne." _
                & vbCrLf & vbTab & "Message: " _
                & ex.Message) 
        Finally
            ' Whether or not the exception was thrown, the current
            ' thread owns the mutex, and must release it.
            '
            _orphan1.ReleaseMutex()
        End Try

        ' Create an array of wait handles, consisting of one
        ' ManualResetEvent and two mutexes, using two more of the
        ' abandoned mutexes.
        Dim waitFor(2) As WaitHandle
        waitFor(0) = _dummy
        waitFor(1) = _orphan2
        waitFor(2) = _orphan3

        ' WaitAny returns when any of the wait handles in the 
        ' array is signaled, so either of the two abandoned mutexes
        ' satisfy its wait condition. On returning from the wait,
        ' WaitAny throws AbandonedMutexException. The MutexIndex
        ' property returns the lower of the two index values for 
        ' the abandoned mutexes. Note that the Try block and the
        ' Catch block obtain the index in different ways.
        '  
        Try
            Dim index As Integer = WaitHandle.WaitAny(waitFor)
            Console.WriteLine("WaitAny succeeded.")

            Dim m As Mutex = TryCast(waitFor(index), Mutex)

            ' The current thread owns the mutex, and must release
            ' it.
            If m IsNot Nothing Then m.ReleaseMutex()
        Catch ex As AbandonedMutexException
            Console.WriteLine("Exception on return from WaitAny at index " _
                & ex.MutexIndex & "." _
                & vbCrLf & vbTab & "Message: " _
                & ex.Message) 

            ' Whether or not the exception was thrown, the current
            ' thread owns the mutex, and must release it.
            '
            If ex.Mutex IsNot Nothing Then ex.Mutex.ReleaseMutex()            
        End Try

        ' Use two more of the abandoned mutexes for the WaitAll call.
        ' WaitAll doesn't return until all wait handles are signaled,
        ' so the ManualResetEvent must be signaled by calling Set(). 
        _dummy.Set()
        waitFor(1) = _orphan4
        waitFor(2) = _orphan5

        ' The signaled event and the two abandoned mutexes satisfy
        ' the wait condition for WaitAll, but on return it throws
        ' AbandonedMutexException. For WaitAll, the MutexIndex
        ' property is always -1 and the Mutex property is always
        ' Nothing.
        '  
        Try
            WaitHandle.WaitAll(waitFor)
            Console.WriteLine("WaitAll succeeded.")
        Catch ex As AbandonedMutexException
            Console.WriteLine("Exception on return from WaitAll. MutexIndex = " _
                & ex.MutexIndex & "." _
                & vbCrLf & vbTab & "Message: " _
                & ex.Message) 
        Finally
            ' Whether or not the exception was thrown, the current
            ' thread owns the mutexes, and must release them.
            '
            CType(waitFor(1), Mutex).ReleaseMutex()
            CType(waitFor(2), Mutex).ReleaseMutex()
        End Try
    End Sub

    <MTAThread> _
    Public Shared Sub AbandonMutex()
        _orphan1.WaitOne()
        _orphan2.WaitOne()
        _orphan3.WaitOne()
        _orphan4.WaitOne()
        _orphan5.WaitOne()
        ' Abandon the mutexes by exiting without releasing them.
        Console.WriteLine("Thread exits without releasing the mutexes.")
    End Sub
End Class

' This code example produces the following output:
'
'Thread exits without releasing the mutexes.
'Exception on return from WaitOne.
'        Message: The wait completed due to an abandoned mutex.
'Exception on return from WaitAny at index 1.
'        Message: The wait completed due to an abandoned mutex.
'Exception on return from WaitAll. MutexIndex = -1.
'        Message: The wait completed due to an abandoned mutex.

Remarks

When a thread abandons a mutex, the exception is thrown in the next thread that acquires the mutex. The thread might acquire the mutex because it was already waiting on the mutex or because it enters the mutex at a later time.

An abandoned mutex indicates a serious programming error. When a thread exits without releasing the mutex, the data structures protected by the mutex might not be in a consistent state. Prior to version 2.0 of the .NET Framework, such problems were hard to discover because no exception was thrown if a wait completed as the result of an abandoned mutex. For more information, see the Mutex class.

The next thread to request ownership of the mutex can handle this exception and proceed, provided that the integrity of the data structures can be verified.

Constructors

AbandonedMutexException()	Initializes a new instance of the AbandonedMutexException class with default values.
AbandonedMutexException(Int32, WaitHandle)	Initializes a new instance of the AbandonedMutexException class with a specified index for the abandoned mutex, if applicable, and a Mutex object that represents the mutex.
AbandonedMutexException(SerializationInfo, StreamingContext)	Obsolete. Initializes a new instance of the AbandonedMutexException class with serialized data.
AbandonedMutexException(String)	Initializes a new instance of the AbandonedMutexException class with a specified error message.
AbandonedMutexException(String, Exception)	Initializes a new instance of the AbandonedMutexException class with a specified error message and inner exception.
AbandonedMutexException(String, Exception, Int32, WaitHandle)	Initializes a new instance of the AbandonedMutexException class with a specified error message, the inner exception, the index for the abandoned mutex, if applicable, and a Mutex object that represents the mutex.
AbandonedMutexException(String, Int32, WaitHandle)	Initializes a new instance of the AbandonedMutexException class with a specified error message, the index of the abandoned mutex, if applicable, and the abandoned mutex.

Properties

Data	Gets a collection of key/value pairs that provide additional user-defined information about the exception. (Inherited from Exception)
HelpLink	Gets or sets a link to the help file associated with this exception. (Inherited from Exception)
HResult	Gets or sets HRESULT, a coded numerical value that is assigned to a specific exception. (Inherited from Exception)
InnerException	Gets the Exception instance that caused the current exception. (Inherited from Exception)
Message	Gets a message that describes the current exception. (Inherited from Exception)
Mutex	Gets the abandoned mutex that caused the exception, if known.
MutexIndex	Gets the index of the abandoned mutex that caused the exception, if known.
Source	Gets or sets the name of the application or the object that causes the error. (Inherited from Exception)
StackTrace	Gets a string representation of the immediate frames on the call stack. (Inherited from Exception)
TargetSite	Gets the method that throws the current exception. (Inherited from Exception)

Methods

Equals(Object)	Determines whether the specified object is equal to the current object. (Inherited from Object)
GetBaseException()	When overridden in a derived class, returns the Exception that is the root cause of one or more subsequent exceptions. (Inherited from Exception)
GetHashCode()	Serves as the default hash function. (Inherited from Object)
GetObjectData(SerializationInfo, StreamingContext)	Obsolete. When overridden in a derived class, sets the SerializationInfo with information about the exception. (Inherited from Exception)
GetType()	Gets the runtime type of the current instance. (Inherited from Exception)
MemberwiseClone()	Creates a shallow copy of the current Object. (Inherited from Object)
ToString()	Creates and returns a string representation of the current exception. (Inherited from Exception)

Events

SerializeObjectState

Obsolete. Occurs when an exception is serialized to create an exception state object that contains serialized data about the exception. (Inherited from Exception)

See also

• Mutex
• Mutex