The Old New Thing
Practical development throughout the evolution of Windows.
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May 13, 2026
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The case of the hang when the user changed keyboard layouts
Keeping things moving.
May 11, 2026
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4
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3
Additional notes on controlling which handles are inherited by CreateProcess
Putting the handles in a private container.
May 8, 2026
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Developing more confidence when tracking renames via ReadDirectoryChangesW
You can track the file ID.
May 7, 2026
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When you upgrade your resource strings to Unicode, don’t forget to specify the L prefix
Otherwise, it'll get mapped back down to the 8-bit code page.
May 6, 2026
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Why not have changes in API behavior depend on the SDK you link against?
Static libraries don't stand a chance.
May 5, 2026
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A dispute over the TAB key highlights a mismatch between Microsoft and IBM organizational structures
I want to speak to your manager.
May 4, 2026
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How do I inform Windows that I’m writing a binary file?
You don't. All files are binary at the file system level.
May 1, 2026
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Developing a cross-process reader/writer lock with limited readers, part 4: Abandonment
Recovering from death of the owner.
Apr 30, 2026
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Developing a cross-process reader/writer lock with limited readers, part 3: Fairness
Let the exclusive acquisition have a fair chance against shared acquisitions.