---
name: "MPI_Win_free"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "openmpi"
version: "5.0.11-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/MPI_Win_free"
---

# MPI\_Win\_free(3)

*MPI\_Win\_free* — Frees the window object and returns a null handle.

## SYNTAX

### C Syntax

```
#include <mpi.h>
int MPI_Win_free(MPI_Win *win)
```

### Fortran Syntax

```
USE MPI
! or the older form: INCLUDE 'mpif.h'
MPI_WIN_FREE(WIN, IERROR)
     INTEGER WIN, IERROR
```

### Fortran 2008 Syntax

```
USE mpi_f08
MPI_Win_free(win, ierror)
     TYPE(MPI_Win), INTENT(INOUT) :: win
     INTEGER, OPTIONAL, INTENT(OUT) :: ierror
```

## INPUT/OUTPUT PARAMETER

- •

  **win**: Window object (handle).

## OUTPUT PARAMETER

- •

  **ierror**: Fortran only: Error status (integer).

## DESCRIPTION

*MPI\_Win\_free* frees the window object *win* and returns a null handle (equal to MPI\_WIN\_NULL). This collective call is executed by all processes in the group associated with *win*. It can be invoked by a process only after it has completed its involvement in RMA communications on window *win*, that is, the process has called *MPI\_Win\_fence*, or called *MPI\_Win\_unlock* to match a previous call to *MPI\_Win\_lock*. When the call returns, the window memory can be freed.

## NOTES

If the window was created through *MPI\_Win\_allocate* or *MPI\_Win\_allocate\_shared* then the memory buffer allocated in that call will be freed when calling *MPI\_Win\_free*.

## ERRORS

Almost all MPI routines return an error value; C routines as the return result of the function and Fortran routines in the last argument.

Before the error value is returned, the current MPI error handler associated with the communication object (e.g., communicator, window, file) is called. If no communication object is associated with the MPI call, then the call is considered attached to MPI\_COMM\_SELF and will call the associated MPI error handler. When MPI\_COMM\_SELF is not initialized (i.e., before *MPI\_Init*/*MPI\_Init\_thread*, after *MPI\_Finalize*, or when using the Sessions Model exclusively) the error raises the initial error handler. The initial error handler can be changed by calling *MPI\_Comm\_set\_errhandler* on MPI\_COMM\_SELF when using the World model, or the mpi\_initial\_errhandler CLI argument to mpiexec or info key to *MPI\_Comm\_spawn*/*MPI\_Comm\_spawn\_multiple*. If no other appropriate error handler has been set, then the MPI\_ERRORS\_RETURN error handler is called for MPI I/O functions and the MPI\_ERRORS\_ABORT error handler is called for all other MPI functions.

Open MPI includes three predefined error handlers that can be used:

- •

  **MPI\_ERRORS\_ARE\_FATAL** Causes the program to abort all connected MPI processes.

- •

  **MPI\_ERRORS\_ABORT** An error handler that can be invoked on a communicator, window, file, or session. When called on a communicator, it acts as if *MPI\_Abort* was called on that communicator. If called on a window or file, acts as if *MPI\_Abort* was called on a communicator containing the group of processes in the corresponding window or file. If called on a session, aborts only the local process.

- •

  **MPI\_ERRORS\_RETURN** Returns an error code to the application.

MPI applications can also implement their own error handlers by calling:

- •

  *MPI\_Comm\_create\_errhandler* then *MPI\_Comm\_set\_errhandler*

- •

  *MPI\_File\_create\_errhandler* then *MPI\_File\_set\_errhandler*

- •

  *MPI\_Session\_create\_errhandler* then *MPI\_Session\_set\_errhandler* or at *MPI\_Session\_init*

- •

  *MPI\_Win\_create\_errhandler* then *MPI\_Win\_set\_errhandler*

Note that MPI does not guarantee that an MPI program can continue past an error.

See the *MPI man page* for a full list of *MPI error codes*.

See the Error Handling section of the MPI-3.1 standard for more information.

**SEE ALSO:**

- •

  *MPI\_Win\_create*

- •

  *MPI\_Win\_allocate*

- •

  *MPI\_Win\_allocate\_shared*

## COPYRIGHT

2003-2026, The Open MPI Community