What does HRESULT 0x087A0001 (DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED) mean?

DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED

Locate the failing graphics boundary: status occluded

DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED (0x087A0001) belongs to the dxgi status layer. It marks Present reached DXGI, but the target window was completely hidden and no useful pixels could reach the user, rather than a generic rendering failure. The object that owns the decision is windowed swap-chain visibility.

DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED: A DXGI status can describe a successful or temporarily invisible presentation. For DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED, Converting every non-S_OK value into device recreation destroys useful state and can create a full-screen transition loop. For DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED, the built-in one-line message identifies the immediate result; diagnosis also needs the producing API, object ownership and the display generation current at the time.

Evidence that makes this result actionable

For DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED, preserve the unsigned HRESULT, symbolic name, first failing API and timestamp in one record. If cleanup later fails too, keep that secondary result separately from DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED.

A controlled comparison

1. Freeze the DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED generation. Record HWND, swap-chain flags, Present result sequence, window visibility, DWM state and whether DXGI_PRESENT_TEST later returns S_OK. Before diagnosing DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED, do not resize, hot-plug, recreate or release the object under examination.
2. Run the narrow DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED comparison. cover the entire target window, observe the status, then uncover it while polling with DXGI_PRESENT_TEST. During the DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED comparison, keep every driver, monitor, resource format and unrelated policy unchanged.
3. Observe the layer after DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED. For DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED, if the exact check passes, record the next HRESULT or visible outcome. A different downstream result shows that the DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED boundary was crossed.
4. Repeat DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED through a lifecycle transition. For DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED, exercise one relevant resize, mode switch, device recreation, hot-plug or session change and confirm that this result does not reuse stale handles.

The comparison with DXGI_STATUS_CLIPPED is especially useful: DXGI_STATUS_CLIPPED reports partial rather than complete loss of visibility. For DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED, recording both names prevents a broad “graphics error” label from merging distinct ownership, capability and lifetime problems.

Correction and proof

Pause expensive rendering while occluded and resume only after a test present reports visibility. Repair of DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED is complete only when the original call succeeds or returns its documented nonfatal status and the same lifetime test remains correct after a second display transition.

• The DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED trace identifies one producing API and one current graphics object, rather than only the final UI symptom.
• The passing run changes exactly the condition described for DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED; unrelated adapter, monitor and application state remains unchanged.
• For DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED, debug-layer, ETW or driver diagnostics no longer report the rejected windowed swap-chain visibility contract during the same scenario.
• The application handles recurrence of DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED without an unbounded retry loop, leaked resource, duplicate composition target or stale topology handle.

Implementation notes for DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED

For DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED, log Present/Present1 result history, WM_SIZE or WM_DISPLAYCHANGE messages, swap-chain description and current IDXGIOutput identity. When the DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED path returns a count, size, status flag or replacement object, retain it even on a nonfatal result because it can direct the next call.

A production fallback for DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED should be explicit: pause rendering, re-enumerate, rebuild one cache entry, recreate a device, or decline a protected path only when this layer calls for that action. Reinstalling every display component, deleting all caches or forcing a resolution change is not an evidence-based fix for DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED.

Technical references

• Microsoft: DXGI status codes — background for the windowed swap-chain visibility boundary involved in DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED.
• Microsoft: DXGI overview and presentation — background for the windowed swap-chain visibility boundary involved in DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED.
• Microsoft: DXGI_PRESENT flags — background for the windowed swap-chain visibility boundary involved in DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED.
• Microsoft: DXGI best practices — background for the windowed swap-chain visibility boundary involved in DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED.

Looking for a different code? Search another status or error code.