Registering a Control Handler Function

Basic Control Handler Example

This is an example of the SetConsoleCtrlHandler function that is used to install a control handler.

When a CTRL+C signal is received, the control handler returns TRUE, indicating that it has handled the signal. Doing this prevents other control handlers from being called.

When a CTRL_CLOSE_EVENT signal is received, the control handler returns TRUE and the process terminates.

When a CTRL_BREAK_EVENT, CTRL_LOGOFF_EVENT, or CTRL_SHUTDOWN_EVENT signal is received, the control handler returns FALSE. Doing this causes the signal to be passed to the next control handler function. If no other control handlers have been registered or none of the registered handlers returns TRUE, the default handler will be used, resulting in the process being terminated.

Note

Calling AttachConsole, AllocConsole, or FreeConsole will reset the table of control handlers in the client process to its initial state. Handlers must be registered again when the attached console session changes.

// CtrlHandler.cpp : This file contains the 'main' function. Program execution begins and ends there.
//

#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>

BOOL WINAPI CtrlHandler(DWORD fdwCtrlType)
{
    switch (fdwCtrlType)
    {
        // Handle the CTRL-C signal.
    case CTRL_C_EVENT:
        printf("Ctrl-C event\n\n");
        Beep(750, 300);
        return TRUE;

        // CTRL-CLOSE: confirm that the user wants to exit.
    case CTRL_CLOSE_EVENT:
        Beep(600, 200);
        printf("Ctrl-Close event\n\n");
        return TRUE;

        // Pass other signals to the next handler.
    case CTRL_BREAK_EVENT:
        Beep(900, 200);
        printf("Ctrl-Break event\n\n");
        return FALSE;

    case CTRL_LOGOFF_EVENT:
        Beep(1000, 200);
        printf("Ctrl-Logoff event\n\n");
        return FALSE;

    case CTRL_SHUTDOWN_EVENT:
        Beep(750, 500);
        printf("Ctrl-Shutdown event\n\n");
        return FALSE;

    default:
        return FALSE;
    }
}

int main(void)
{
    if (SetConsoleCtrlHandler(CtrlHandler, TRUE))
    {
        printf("\nThe Control Handler is installed.\n");
        printf("\n -- Now try pressing Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Break, or");
        printf("\n    try logging off or closing the console...\n");
        printf("\n(...waiting in a loop for events...)\n\n");

        while (1) {}
    }
    else
    {
        printf("\nERROR: Could not set control handler");
        return 1;
    }
    return 0;
}

Listen with Hidden Window Example

Per the remarks, if the gdi32.dll or user32.dll library are loaded, SetConsoleCtrlHandler does not get called for the CTRL_LOGOFF_EVENT and CTRL_SHUTDOWN_EVENT events. The workaround specified is to create a hidden window, if no window already exists, by calling the CreateWindowEx method with the dwExStyle parameter set to 0 and listen for the WM_QUERYENDSESSION and WM_ENDSESSION window messages. If a window already exists, add the two messages to the existing Window Procedure.

More information on setting up a window and its messaging loop can be found at Creating a Window.

// CtrlHandler.cpp : This file contains the 'main' function. Program execution begins and ends there.
//

#include <Windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>

BOOL WINAPI CtrlHandler(DWORD fdwCtrlType)
{
    switch (fdwCtrlType)
    {
        // Handle the CTRL-C signal.
    case CTRL_C_EVENT:
        printf("Ctrl-C event\n\n");
        Beep(750, 300);
        return TRUE;

        // CTRL-CLOSE: confirm that the user wants to exit.
    case CTRL_CLOSE_EVENT:
        Beep(600, 200);
        printf("Ctrl-Close event\n\n");
        return TRUE;

        // Pass other signals to the next handler.
    case CTRL_BREAK_EVENT:
        Beep(900, 200);
        printf("Ctrl-Break event\n\n");
        return FALSE;

    case CTRL_LOGOFF_EVENT:
        Beep(1000, 200);
        printf("Ctrl-Logoff event\n\n");
        return FALSE;

    case CTRL_SHUTDOWN_EVENT:
        Beep(750, 500);
        printf("Ctrl-Shutdown event\n\n");
        return FALSE;

    default:
        return FALSE;
    }
}

LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    switch (uMsg)
    {
    case WM_QUERYENDSESSION:
    {
        // Check `lParam` for which system shutdown function and handle events.
        // See https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/win32/shutdown/wm-queryendsession
        return TRUE; // Respect user's intent and allow shutdown.
    }
    case WM_ENDSESSION:
    {
        // Check `lParam` for which system shutdown function and handle events.
        // See https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/win32/shutdown/wm-endsession
        return 0; // We have handled this message.
    }
    default:
        return DefWindowProc(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
    }
}

int main(void)
{
    WNDCLASS sampleClass{ 0 };
    sampleClass.lpszClassName = TEXT("CtrlHandlerSampleClass");
    sampleClass.lpfnWndProc = WindowProc;

    if (!RegisterClass(&sampleClass))
    {
        printf("\nERROR: Could not register window class");
        return 2;
    }

    HWND hwnd = CreateWindowEx(
        0,
        sampleClass.lpszClassName,
        TEXT("Console Control Handler Sample"),
        0,
        CW_USEDEFAULT,
        CW_USEDEFAULT,
        CW_USEDEFAULT,
        CW_USEDEFAULT,
        nullptr,
        nullptr,
        nullptr,
        nullptr
    );

    if (!hwnd)
    {
        printf("\nERROR: Could not create window");
        return 3;
    }

    ShowWindow(hwnd, SW_HIDE);

    if (SetConsoleCtrlHandler(CtrlHandler, TRUE))
    {
        printf("\nThe Control Handler is installed.\n");
        printf("\n -- Now try pressing Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Break, or");
        printf("\n    try logging off or closing the console...\n");
        printf("\n(...waiting in a loop for events...)\n\n");

        // Pump message loop for the window we created.
        MSG msg{};
        while (GetMessage(&msg, nullptr, 0, 0) > 0)
        {
            TranslateMessage(&msg);
            DispatchMessage(&msg);
        }
        return 0;
    }
    else
    {
        printf("\nERROR: Could not set control handler");
        return 1;
    }
}