WriteFile fails with error 87 (the parameter is incorrect) but works fine when debugging in Visual Studio - visual-studio-2012

Question

I create a file:
m_fileHandle = CreateFileA(
m_pszFilename,
GENERIC_WRITE,
0,
NULL,
CREATE_ALWAYS,
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL | FILE_FLAG_NO_BUFFERING | FILE_FLAG_WRITE_THROUGH,
NULL);
Then write to it:
const BOOL bSuccess = WriteFile(
m_fileHandle,
buffer,
dataSize,
&tempBytesWritten,
NULL );
When I start the program, WriteFile fails and GetLastError() returns error 87.
I read that WriteFile on a file created with flag FILE_FLAG_NO_BUFFERING fails when dataSize is not a multiple of hard disk sector size.
If that is the reason for the error, then why does the code work fine when I debug in Visual Studio Express 2012?

Answer 1

Solution was here: File Buffering https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/cc644950%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
Working code:
#include "stdafx.h"
#include "assert.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <Windows.h>
#include <comutil.h>
using namespace std;
namespace{
unsigned long tempBytesWritten = 0;
HANDLE m_fileHandle;
char m_pszFilename[_MAX_PATH] = "";
// Create a temporary file for benchmark
int createFile()
{
WCHAR tempPath[MAX_PATH];
GetTempPath(_countof(tempPath), tempPath);
_bstr_t p(tempPath);
const char* c = p;
strcpy(m_pszFilename, c);
strcat(m_pszFilename, "testRawFile.raw");
cout << "Writing to " << m_pszFilename << endl;
m_fileHandle = CreateFileA(
m_pszFilename,
GENERIC_WRITE,
0,
NULL,
CREATE_ALWAYS,
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL | FILE_FLAG_NO_BUFFERING | FILE_FLAG_WRITE_THROUGH,
NULL);
if (m_fileHandle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
{
assert( false );
}
return 0;
}
}
DWORD DetectSectorSize( WCHAR * devName, PSTORAGE_ACCESS_ALIGNMENT_DESCRIPTOR pAlignmentDescriptor)
{
DWORD Bytes = 0;
BOOL bReturn = FALSE;
DWORD Error = NO_ERROR;
STORAGE_PROPERTY_QUERY Query;
ZeroMemory(&Query, sizeof(Query));
HANDLE hFile = CreateFileW( devName,
STANDARD_RIGHTS_READ,
FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE,
NULL,
OPEN_EXISTING,
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL,
NULL);
if (hFile==INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
wprintf(L" hFile==INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE. GetLastError() returns %lu.\n", Error=GetLastError());
return Error;
}
Query.QueryType = PropertyStandardQuery;
Query.PropertyId = StorageAccessAlignmentProperty;
bReturn = DeviceIoControl( hFile,
IOCTL_STORAGE_QUERY_PROPERTY,
&Query,
sizeof(STORAGE_PROPERTY_QUERY),
pAlignmentDescriptor,
sizeof(STORAGE_ACCESS_ALIGNMENT_DESCRIPTOR),
&Bytes,
NULL);
if (bReturn == FALSE) {
wprintf(L" bReturn==FALSE. GetLastError() returns %lu.\n", Error=GetLastError());
}
CloseHandle(hFile);
return Error;
}
int main()
{
unsigned int dataSize = 2000;
DWORD Error = NO_ERROR;
STORAGE_ACCESS_ALIGNMENT_DESCRIPTOR Alignment = {0};
// WCHAR szDisk[] = L"\\\\.\\PhysicalDrive0";
WCHAR szDisk[] = L"\\\\.\\C:";
Error = DetectSectorSize(szDisk, &Alignment);
if (Error) {
wprintf(L"Error %lu encountered while querying alignment.\n", Error);
return Error;
}
wprintf(L"Disk %s Properties\n", (WCHAR*) szDisk);
if (Alignment.BytesPerLogicalSector < Alignment.BytesPerPhysicalSector) {
wprintf(L" Emulated sector size is %lu bytes.\n", Alignment.BytesPerLogicalSector);
}
wprintf(L" Physical sector size is %lu bytes.\n", Alignment.BytesPerPhysicalSector);
dataSize = ((unsigned int)(dataSize + Alignment.BytesPerPhysicalSector - 1)/Alignment.BytesPerPhysicalSector) * Alignment.BytesPerPhysicalSector;
// Allocate buffer for file
unsigned char *buffer = new unsigned char[dataSize];
// Create file to write to
if ( createFile() != 0 )
{
printf("There was error creating the files... press Enter to exit.");
getchar();
return -1;
}
const BOOL bSuccess = WriteFile(m_fileHandle, buffer, dataSize, &tempBytesWritten, NULL );
if (!bSuccess)
{
cout << "Write failed with error " << GetLastError() << endl;
}
// clean up and remove file
CloseHandle(m_fileHandle);
wchar_t wtext[_MAX_PATH];
mbstowcs(wtext, m_pszFilename, strlen(m_pszFilename)+1);
DeleteFile(wtext);
return 0;
}