BUG: NextValue method of .NET PerformanceCounter object returns zero

View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q324548

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SYMPTOMS

The NextValue method of the .NET PerformanceCounter object may return zero (0) for the following LogicalDisk or PhysicalDisk performance counters:

% Disk Time
% Disk Read Time
% Disk Write Time
% Idle Time
Avg. Disk Queue Length
Avg. Disk Read Queue Length
Avg. Disk Write Queue Length

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CAUSE

The performance counters that are listed in the "Symptoms" section use the following counter types:

PERF_PRECISION_100NS_TIMER
PERF_PRECISION_TIMESTAMP
PERF_COUNTER_100NS_QUEUELEN_TYPE

This problem occurs because the implementation of the .NET PerformanceCounter class does not correctly handle these counter types.

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STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

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MORE INFORMATION

The following C# sample code reproduces the problem:

using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Threading;

public class function 
{
	public static void Main() 
	{
		float value;
		int i;
		PerformanceCounter objPerfMon;
		string machineName = ".";
		string objectName = "PhysicalDisk";
        
		try 
		{
			for (i=0; i<10; i++) 
			{ 
				objPerfMon = new PerformanceCounter(objectName, "% Disk Time", "_Total", machineName);
				value = objPerfMon.NextValue();
				Thread.Sleep(100);
				value = objPerfMon.NextValue();
				Console.WriteLine("% Disk Time " + value.ToString());
			}
			for (i=0; i<10; i++) 
			{ 
				objPerfMon = new PerformanceCounter(objectName, "% Disk Read Time", "_Total", machineName);
				value = objPerfMon.NextValue();
				Thread.Sleep(100);
				value = objPerfMon.NextValue();
				Console.WriteLine("% Disk Read Time " + value.ToString());
			}
			for (i=0; i<10; i++) 
			{ 
				objPerfMon = new PerformanceCounter(objectName, "% Disk Write Time", "_Total", machineName);
				value = objPerfMon.NextValue();
				Thread.Sleep(100);
				value = objPerfMon.NextValue();
				Console.WriteLine("% Disk Write Time " + value.ToString());
			}
			for (i=0; i<10; i++) 
			{ 
				objPerfMon = new PerformanceCounter(objectName, "% Idle Time", "_Total", machineName);
				value = objPerfMon.NextValue();
				Thread.Sleep(100);
				value = objPerfMon.NextValue();
				Console.WriteLine("% Idle Time " + value.ToString());
			}

			for (i=0; i<10; i++) 
			{ 
				objPerfMon = new PerformanceCounter(objectName, "Avg. Disk Queue Length", "_Total", machineName);
				value = objPerfMon.NextValue();
				Thread.Sleep(100);
				value = objPerfMon.NextValue();
				Console.WriteLine("Avg. Disk Queue Length " + value.ToString());
			}

			for (i=0; i<10; i++) 
			{ 
				objPerfMon = new PerformanceCounter(objectName, "Avg. Disk Read Queue Length", "_Total", machineName);
				value = objPerfMon.NextValue();
				Thread.Sleep(100);
				value = objPerfMon.NextValue();
				Console.WriteLine("Avg. Disk Read Queue Length " + value.ToString());
			}

			for (i=0; i<10; i++) 
			{ 
				objPerfMon = new PerformanceCounter(objectName, "Avg. Disk Write Queue Length", "_Total", machineName);
				value = objPerfMon.NextValue();
				Thread.Sleep(100);
				value = objPerfMon.NextValue();
				Console.WriteLine("Avg. Disk Write Queue Length " + value.ToString());
			}
		}
		catch (InvalidOperationException) 
		{
			Console.WriteLine("N/A");
		}
		catch (Exception ex) 
		{
			Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString());
		}
	}
}

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