diff --git a/prov/generic2.cpp b/prov/generic2.cpp
index 6f59070..c0476f3 100644
--- a/prov/generic2.cpp
+++ b/prov/generic2.cpp
@@ -36,11 +36,11 @@ TOSDB_Generic::TOSDB_Generic(TOSDB_Generic&& gen)
     :      
         _type_val( gen._type_val )
     {                
-        /* we are stealing the scalar value OR the string pointer */           
+      /* we are stealing the scalar value OR the string pointer */           
         memcpy(this->_sub, gen._sub, SUB_SZ);      
-        /* keep gen's carcas from screwing us if it had a string ptr */          
-        memset(gen._sub, 0, SUB_SZ);
-        /* and change its type to keep it's destructor from a bad free */
+
+      /* leave the pointer but set _type_val to VOID to avoid bad free; ptr is an 
+         implementation detail of the moved object that we can safely ignore */
         gen._type_val = TYVAL_VOID;            
     }
 
@@ -79,20 +79,21 @@ TOSDB_Generic::operator=(const TOSDB_Generic& gen)
 TOSDB_Generic& 
 TOSDB_Generic::operator=(TOSDB_Generic&& gen)
 {
-    /* not sure if this is optimal or its better to branch(as above) and move
-       the string object in, allowing gen's destructor to delete 
+  /* not sure if this is optimal or its better to branch(as above) and move
+     the string object in, allowing gen's destructor to delete 
+
+     although, this way is a lot cleaner than 2 nested conditionals*/
 
-       although, this way is a lot cleaner than 2 nested conditionals*/
     if(this->_type_val == TYVAL_STRING)
         delete *(std::string**)this->_sub; 
      
     this->_type_val = gen._type_val;
 
-    /* we are stealing the scalar value OR the string pointer */           
-    memcpy(this->_sub, gen._sub, SUB_SZ);      
-    /* keep gen's carcas from screwing us if it had a string ptr */          
-    memset(gen._sub, 0, SUB_SZ);
-    /* and change its type to keep it's destructor from doing the same */
+  /* we are stealing the scalar value OR the string pointer */           
+    memcpy(this->_sub, gen._sub, SUB_SZ);    
+       
+  /* leave the pointer but set _type_val to VOID to avoid bad free; ptr is an 
+     implementation detail of the moved object that we can safely ignore */
     gen._type_val = TYVAL_VOID;
 
     return *this;
diff --git a/prov/generic2.hpp b/prov/generic2.hpp
index 1e57523..5b47a4a 100644
--- a/prov/generic2.hpp
+++ b/prov/generic2.hpp
@@ -48,16 +48,17 @@ class TOSDB_Generic{
      note: we don't hold a 'void' object per-se; when an object holding a string 
            is 'moved' we set the _type_val to TYVAL_VOID so the destructor knows 
            not to free the junk _sub then points at                           */
+
     static const int TYVAL_VOID      = 0;
     static const int TYVAL_LONG      = 1;
     static const int TYVAL_LONG_LONG = 2;
     static const int TYVAL_FLOAT     = 3;
     static const int TYVAL_DOUBLE    = 4;
-    static const int TYVAL_STRING    = 5;
-  
+    static const int TYVAL_STRING    = 5;  
   
-  /* max string length we support is 255 chars */
+  /* max string length we support is 255 chars (why?) */
     static const int STR_MAX = UCHAR_MAX - 1;
+
   /* the (max) byte size of our internal representation */
     static const int SUB_SZ  = 8;
 
@@ -164,14 +165,14 @@ class TOSDB_Generic{
                 delete *(std::string**)(this->_sub); 
         }
 
-    inline bool 
+    inline bool /* same type AND value */
     operator==(const TOSDB_Generic& gen) const
     {
         return ( this->_type_val == gen._type_val ) 
                && ( this->as_string() == gen.as_string() );
     }
 
-    inline bool 
+    inline bool /* different type OR value */
     operator!=(const TOSDB_Generic& gen) const 
     {
         return !(this->operator==(gen));
diff --git a/src/service.cpp b/src/service.cpp
index 9836122..458071e 100644
--- a/src/service.cpp
+++ b/src/service.cpp
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ SendMsgWaitForResponse(long msg)
     if(!master){
         master = mstr_ptr_ty( new DynamicIPCMaster(TOSDB_COMM_CHANNEL) );
         master->try_for_slave();
-		// ERROR CHECK
+        // ERROR CHECK
         IPC_TIMED_WAIT( master->grab_pipe() <= 0,
                         "SendMsgWaitForResponse timed out",
                         -1 );     
@@ -263,9 +263,14 @@ SpawnRestrictedProcess(int session = -1)
         }else{ 
             ret = true; 
         }
-    }            
-    if(tkn_hndl) CloseHandle(tkn_hndl);
-    if(ctkn_hndl) CloseHandle(ctkn_hndl);     
+    }   
+         
+    if(tkn_hndl) 
+        CloseHandle(tkn_hndl);
+
+    if(ctkn_hndl) 
+        CloseHandle(ctkn_hndl);     
+
     return ret;
 }    
 };
@@ -318,9 +323,9 @@ ServiceMain(DWORD argc, LPSTR argv[])
         WaitForSingleObject(engine_pinfo.hProcess, INFINITE);
     }
 
-    /* !! IF WE GET HERE WE WILL SHUTDOWN !!*/
+    /* !! IF WE GET HERE WE WILL SHUTDOWN !! */
     UpdateStatus(SERVICE_STOPPED, 0);
-    /* !! IF WE GET HERE WE WILL SHUTDOWN !!*/
+    /* !! IF WE GET HERE WE WILL SHUTDOWN !! */
 
     TOSDB_Log("STATE","SERVICE_STOPPED");    
 }
@@ -332,7 +337,7 @@ ParseArgs(std::vector<std::string>& vec, std::string str)
     std::string::size_type i = str.find_first_of(' '); 
 
     if( str.empty() ){ /* done */
-		    return;
+        return;
     }else if(i == std::string::npos){ /* only 1 str */
         vec.push_back(str);
         return;
@@ -355,7 +360,7 @@ WinMain(HINSTANCE hInst, HINSTANCE hPrevInst, LPSTR lpCmdLn, int nShowCmd)
     SmartBuffer<CHAR> module_buf(MAX_PATH);
     GetModuleFileName(NULL, module_buf.get(), MAX_PATH);
 
-	  /* start  logging */
+    /* start  logging */
     std::string logpath(TOSDB_LOG_PATH);
     logpath.append(LOG_NAME);
     StartLogging(logpath.c_str()); 
@@ -383,6 +388,7 @@ WinMain(HINSTANCE hInst, HINSTANCE hPrevInst, LPSTR lpCmdLn, int nShowCmd)
     int admin_pos = 0;
     int no_service_pos = 0;
 	
+
     /* look for --admin and/or --noservice args */
     if(argc > 0 && args[0] == "--admin")            
         admin_pos = 1;
@@ -394,9 +400,10 @@ WinMain(HINSTANCE hInst, HINSTANCE hPrevInst, LPSTR lpCmdLn, int nShowCmd)
     else if(argc > 1 && args[1] == "--noservice") 
         no_service_pos = 2;
         
+
     switch(argc){ /* look for custom_session arg */
-	  case 0:
-		    break;
+    case 0:
+        break;
     case 1:
         if(admin_pos == 0 && no_service_pos == 0)
             custom_session = std::stoi(args[0]);
@@ -412,15 +419,15 @@ WinMain(HINSTANCE hInst, HINSTANCE hPrevInst, LPSTR lpCmdLn, int nShowCmd)
         if(admin_pos > 0 && no_service_pos > 0)
             custom_session = std::stoi(args[2]);
         break;
-    default:		
-		    std::string serr("invalid # of args: ");
+    default:
+        std::string serr("invalid # of args: ");
         serr.append(std::to_string(argc));
         TOSDB_LogH("STARTUP",serr.c_str());
         return 1;
     }     
-    
-	  std::stringstream ss_args;
-	  ss_args << "cmd_str: " << cmd_str << " argc: " << std::to_string(argc) 
+   
+    std::stringstream ss_args;
+    ss_args << "cmd_str: " << cmd_str << " argc: " << std::to_string(argc) 
             << " custom_session: " << std::to_string(custom_session) 
             << " admin_pos: " << std::to_string(admin_pos) 
             << " no_service_pos: " << std::to_string(no_service_pos);
@@ -434,6 +441,7 @@ WinMain(HINSTANCE hInst, HINSTANCE hPrevInst, LPSTR lpCmdLn, int nShowCmd)
     /* populate the engine command and if --noservice is passed jump right into
        the engine via SpawnRestrictedProcess; otherwise Start the service which
        will handle that for us */
+
     if(no_service_pos > 0){
         strcpy_s(engine_cmd,"--noservice");
         is_service = false;