# Function Reference

# _WinAPI_OpenMutex

Opens an existing named mutex object

#include <WinAPIProc.au3>
_WinAPI_OpenMutex ( $sMutex [, $iAccess = $MUTEX_ALL_ACCESS [, $bInherit = False]] )

## Parameters

$sMutex | The name of the mutex to be opened. Name comparisons are case sensitive.
$iAccess | [optional] The access to the mutex object. The function fails if the security descriptor of the specified object does not permit the requested access for the calling process. This parameter can be one of the following values: $MUTEX_ALL_ACCESS (Default) $MUTEX_MODIFY_STATE
$bInherit | [optional] Specifies whether inherites the handle by a processes, valid values: True - The processes created by this process will inherit the handle. False - The processes do not inherit this handle (Default).

## Return Value

Success: | The handle to the mutex object.
Failure: | 0, call _WinAPI_GetLastError() to get extended error information.

## Remarks

The function succeeds only if some process has already created the mutex by using the _WinAPI_CreateMutex()
function. The calling process can use the returned handle in any function that requires a handle to
a mutex object.

## Related

_WinAPI_CreateMutex

## See Also

Search OpenMutex in MSDN Library.