shadowsocks/shadowsocks-windows · error · Exception

Unable to set information. Error: {0}

Error message

Unable to set information.  Error: {0}

What it means

Exception thrown in the Job constructor when the Win32 SetInformationJobObject call fails. The job object is configured with JOB_OBJECT_LIMIT_KILL_ON_JOB_CLOSE (0x2000) so child processes die with the parent. The message embeds Marshal.GetLastWin32Error() — the system error code explaining why the limit could not be set.

Source

Thrown at shadowsocks-csharp/Util/ProcessManagement/Job.cs:41

            var info = new JOBOBJECT_BASIC_LIMIT_INFORMATION
            {
                LimitFlags = 0x2000
            };

            var extendedInfo = new JOBOBJECT_EXTENDED_LIMIT_INFORMATION
            {
                BasicLimitInformation = info
            };

            try
            {
                int length = Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(JOBOBJECT_EXTENDED_LIMIT_INFORMATION));
                extendedInfoPtr = Marshal.AllocHGlobal(length);
                Marshal.StructureToPtr(extendedInfo, extendedInfoPtr, false);

                if (!SetInformationJobObject(handle, JobObjectInfoType.ExtendedLimitInformation, extendedInfoPtr,
                        (uint) length))
                    throw new Exception(string.Format("Unable to set information.  Error: {0}",
                        Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()));
            }
            finally
            {
                if (extendedInfoPtr != IntPtr.Zero)
                {
                    Marshal.FreeHGlobal(extendedInfoPtr);
                    extendedInfoPtr = IntPtr.Zero;
                }
            }
        }

        public bool AddProcess(IntPtr processHandle)
        {
            var succ = AssignProcessToJobObject(handle, processHandle);

            if (!succ)
            {

View on GitHub (pinned to 891d971682)

Solutions

1. Read the numeric Win32 error in the message and look it up (5 = ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED, 6 = ERROR_INVALID_HANDLE, 87 = ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER, 1001 = ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED).
2. Verify the process is running on a real Windows kernel with permission to create jobs.
3. Confirm the marshalled struct size matches the OS bitness; the UIntPtr/UInt64 fields differ between x86 and x64.
4. Check that CreateJobObject did not return IntPtr.Zero before calling SetInformationJobObject.

Example fix

// before
handle = CreateJobObject(IntPtr.Zero, null);
// ... SetInformationJobObject(handle, ...) throws if handle is zero

// after
handle = CreateJobObject(IntPtr.Zero, null);
if (handle == IntPtr.Zero)
    throw new Exception("CreateJobObject failed: " + Marshal.GetLastWin32Error());
// ... then SetInformationJobObject

if (Environment.OSVersion.Platform != PlatformID.Win32NT)
    throw new PlatformNotSupportedException("Job objects require Windows");
// verify the job handle before SetInformationJobObject is reached
if (handle == IntPtr.Zero)
    throw new Exception("CreateJobObject failed: " + Marshal.GetLastWin32Error());

try { var job = new Job(); job.AddProcess(proc.Handle); }
catch (Exception ex) {
    // log the Win32 error code; children will not be auto-killed on exit
    logger.Warn(ex, "job object unavailable; children may outlive the parent");
}

When it happens

Trigger: CreateJobObject returned IntPtr.Zero so SetInformationJobObject operates on a null handle. The process runs on a platform whose kernel32 stubs job-object calls. Insufficient privileges or a security policy denies job creation. The marshalled JOBOBJECT_EXTENDED_LIMIT_INFORMATION size does not match the OS bitness (UIntPtr fields change size), so the length check fails.

Common situations: Running on Wine or a non-Windows platform where the call is stubbed. An x86/x64 struct layout mismatch causing ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER (87). A group policy or sandbox that blocks job creation.

Related errors

• Plugin Program
• openssl: fail to encrypt AEAD
• openssl: fail to finalize AEAD

AI-assisted analysis of shadowsocks/shadowsocks-windows@891d971682 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/084972c2463d3345. Report an issue: GitHub.