Restrictions on Termination Handlers

You can't use a goto statement to jump into a __try statement block or a __finally statement block. Instead, you must enter the statement block through normal flow of control. (You can, however, jump out of a __try statement block.) Also, you can't nest an exception handler or termination handler inside a __finally block.

Some kinds of code permitted in a termination handler produce questionable results, so you should use them with caution, if at all. One is a goto statement that jumps out of a __finally statement block. If the block executes as part of normal termination, nothing unusual happens. But if the system is unwinding the stack, that unwinding stops. Then, the current function gains control as if there were no abnormal termination.

A return statement inside a __finally statement block presents roughly the same situation. Control returns to the immediate caller of the function that contains the termination handler. If the system was unwinding the stack, this process is halted. Then, the program proceeds as if no exception had been raised.

See also

Writing a termination handler
Structured Exception Handling (C/C++)