diff --git a/exporters/etw/include/opentelemetry/exporters/etw/etw_provider.h b/exporters/etw/include/opentelemetry/exporters/etw/etw_provider.h
index 5b00f05574..51cca03a60 100644
--- a/exporters/etw/include/opentelemetry/exporters/etw/etw_provider.h
+++ b/exporters/etw/include/opentelemetry/exporters/etw/etw_provider.h
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@ class ETWProvider
   {
     std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m_providerMapLock);
 
-    auto m  = providers();
+    // use reference to provider list, NOT it' copy.
+    auto &m = providers();
     auto it = m.begin();
     while (it != m.end())
     {
@@ -228,7 +229,10 @@ class ETWProvider
           }
 
           it->second.providerHandle = INVALID_HANDLE;
-          m.erase(it);
+          if (result == STATUS_OK)
+          {
+            m.erase(it);
+          }
         }
         return result;
       }
diff --git a/exporters/etw/test/etw_provider_test.cc b/exporters/etw/test/etw_provider_test.cc
index 433630270f..d5ebbcad43 100644
--- a/exporters/etw/test/etw_provider_test.cc
+++ b/exporters/etw/test/etw_provider_test.cc
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ TEST(ETWProvider, ProviderIsRegisteredSuccessfully)
 
   bool registered = etw.is_registered(providerName);
   ASSERT_TRUE(registered);
+  etw.close(handle);
 }
 
 TEST(ETWProvider, ProviderIsNotRegisteredSuccessfully)
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ TEST(ETWProvider, CheckOpenGUIDDataSuccessfully)
   auto guidStrName = uuid_name.to_string();
 
   ASSERT_STREQ(guidStrHandle.c_str(), guidStrName.c_str());
+  etw.close(handle);
 }
 
 TEST(ETWProvider, CheckCloseSuccess)
@@ -53,10 +55,10 @@ TEST(ETWProvider, CheckCloseSuccess)
   std::string providerName = "OpenTelemetry-ETW-Provider";
 
   static ETWProvider etw;
-  auto handle = etw.open(providerName.c_str());
-
+  auto handle = etw.open(providerName.c_str(), ETWProvider::EventFormat::ETW_MANIFEST);
   auto result = etw.close(handle);
   ASSERT_NE(result, etw.STATUS_ERROR);
+  ASSERT_FALSE(etw.is_registered(providerName));
 }
 
 #endif