c:\test>p1
[0] Perl> system qq[tasklist /fi "PID eq $$"];;

Image Name                   PID Session Name     Session#    Mem Usage
========================= ====== ================ ======== ============
perl.exe                     888                         0      2,972 K
[0] Perl> open RAM, '>', \$ram;;
[Bad file descriptor] Perl> print RAM 'X' x 1e6 for 1 .. 100; print length $ram;;
100000100
[0] Perl> system qq[tasklist /fi "PID eq $$"];;

Image Name                   PID Session Name     Session#    Mem Usage
========================= ====== ================ ======== ============
perl.exe                     888                         0    101,008 K
[0] Perl> close RAM;;
[0] Perl> undef $ram;;
[0] Perl> system qq[tasklist /fi "PID eq $$"];;

Image Name                   PID Session Name     Session#    Mem Usage
========================= ====== ================ ======== ============
perl.exe                     888                         0      3,256 K

##</code><code>##

VMem::~VMem(void)
{
#ifndef _USE_BUDDY_BLOCKS
    ASSERT(HeapValidate(m_hHeap, HEAP_NO_SERIALIZE, NULL));
#endif
    WALKHEAPTRACE();

    DeleteCriticalSection(&m_cs);
#ifdef _USE_BUDDY_BLOCKS
    for(int index = 0; index < m_nHeaps; ++index) {
	VirtualFree(m_heaps[index].base, 0, MEM_RELEASE); <<<<<<<<< HERE!
    }
#else /* !_USE_BUDDY_BLOCKS */
#ifdef USE_BIGBLOCK_ALLOC
    for(int index = 0; index < m_nHeaps; ++index) {
	if (m_heaps[index].bBigBlock) {
	    VirtualFree(m_heaps[index].base, 0, MEM_RELEASE); <<<<< HERE!
	}
    }
#endif
    BOOL bRet = HeapDestroy(m_hHeap);
    ASSERT(bRet);
#endif /* _USE_BUDDY_BLOCKS */
}

void VMem::ReInit(void)
{
    for(int index = 0; index < m_nHeaps; ++index) {
#ifdef _USE_BUDDY_BLOCKS
	VirtualFree(m_heaps[index].base, 0, MEM_RELEASE);    <<<<<< HERE!
#else
#ifdef USE_BIGBLOCK_ALLOC
	if (m_heaps[index].bBigBlock) {
	    VirtualFree(m_heaps[index].base, 0, MEM_RELEASE); <<<<< HERE!
	}
	else
#endif
	    HeapFree(m_hHeap, HEAP_NO_SERIALIZE, m_heaps[index].base);
#endif /* _USE_BUDDY_BLOCKS */
    }

    Init();
}