openjdk/jdk · error

CreateProcess failed: %lu

Error message

CreateProcess failed: %lu

What it means

Windows launcher relauncher: the attempt to start the real 'java' process with CreateProcess(java_path, command_line, ...) failed (returned FALSE). Since Windows has no exec(), the relauncher must spawn java.exe and wait for it; failing here means java was never started. The message prints GetLastError() and the relauncher returns 1.

Source

Thrown at src/java.base/windows/native/launcher/relauncher.c:228

    // Finally execute the real java process with the constructed arguments

    if (GetEnvironmentVariable("_JAVA_LAUNCHER_DEBUG", NULL, 0)) {
        char *program_name = PathFindFileName(argv[0]);

        fprintf(stderr, "%s: executing: '%s' '%s'\n", program_name, java_path, command_line);
    }

    STARTUPINFO si;
    PROCESS_INFORMATION pi;

    memset(&si, 0, sizeof(si));
    si.cb = sizeof(si);
    memset(&pi, 0, sizeof(pi));

    // Windows has no equivalent of exec, so start the process and wait for it
    // to finish, to be able to return the same exit code
    if (!CreateProcess(java_path, command_line, NULL, NULL, FALSE, 0, NULL, NULL, &si, &pi)) {
        fprintf(stderr, "CreateProcess failed: %lu\n", GetLastError());
        return 1;
    }

    if (WaitForSingleObject(pi.hProcess, INFINITE) == WAIT_FAILED) {
        fprintf(stderr, "WaitForSingleObject failed: %lu\n", GetLastError());
        return 1;
    }

    DWORD exit_code;
    if (!GetExitCodeProcess(pi.hProcess, &exit_code)) {
        fprintf(stderr, "GetExitCodeProcess failed: %lu\n", GetLastError());
        return 1;
    }
    CloseHandle(pi.hProcess);
    CloseHandle(pi.hThread);

    return exit_code;
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 88dfb74bbe)

Solutions

1. Confirm bin\java.exe exists next to the failing executable and can be run directly
2. Decode the GetLastError() value shown in the message (e.g. 2 = ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND, 5 = ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED, 206 = filename/length limits) and address that specific cause
3. Shorten the command line (use @argfiles, CLASSPATH env, or the JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS file mechanism) if it is very long
4. Reinstall/verify the JDK image hashes if the executable seems present but still fails (corruption or AV interference)

Example fix

# before
set CLASSPATH=<10k of jars...>
jdk\bin\java ... Main

# after
jdk\bin\java @options.txt Main   # args moved to an @argfile, short command line

# Verify the real launcher exists next to the relauncher and the cmdline is sane:
if not exist "%JH%\\bin\\java.exe" echo missing %JH%\\bin\\java.exe & exit /b 1
java -XX:+PrintFlagsFinal -version >nul || echo launcher smoke test failed

When it happens

Trigger: java_path (the 'java' executable expected in the same directory as the relauncher) does not exist or is not executable; the command line exceeds the 32767-character limit; the image is locked/corrupted (antivirus quarantine); insufficient permissions; or a bogus java.dll sibling blocking image load.

Common situations: JDK image with bin\java.exe deleted or quarantined; running from a read-only/network share with execute denied; extremely long CLASSPATH/options overflowing the command line; partial/corrupted JDK extraction.

Related errors

• failed to get the full path of the executable: %lu
• no '/' found in the full path of the executable
• no '\' found in the full path of the executable
• WaitForSingleObject failed: %lu
• GetExitCodeProcess failed: %lu

AI-assisted analysis of openjdk/jdk@88dfb74bbe (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/acbdb56e7a8e7b92. Report an issue: GitHub.