What does HRESULT 0x087A0006 (DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE) mean?

DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE

Why this is not a generic GPU failure: status graphics vidpn source in use

DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE (0x087A0006) belongs to the dxgi status layer. It marks the output path was already committed to another display use, so the submitted frame could not become visible there, rather than a generic rendering failure. The object that owns the decision is VidPN source ownership during Present.

DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE: A DXGI status can describe a successful or temporarily invisible presentation. For DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, Converting every non-S_OK value into device recreation destroys useful state and can create a full-screen transition loop. For DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, 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.

The smallest evidence set

For DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, 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_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE.

A/B test for the exact condition

1. Freeze the DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE generation. Record adapter LUID, output index, full-screen owner, duplication session, active VidPN mapping and Present result order. Before diagnosing DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, do not resize, hot-plug, recreate or release the object under examination.
2. Run the narrow DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE comparison. release the competing full-screen or duplication owner and retry with the same swap-chain content. During the DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE comparison, keep every driver, monitor, resource format and unrelated policy unchanged.
3. Observe the layer after DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE. For DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, if the exact check passes, record the next HRESULT or visible outcome. A different downstream result shows that the DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE boundary was crossed.
4. Repeat DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE through a lifecycle transition. For DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, 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 ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE is especially useful: ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE is the lower display-mode-management ownership failure. For DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, recording both names prevents a broad “graphics error” label from merging distinct ownership, capability and lifetime problems.

Safe remediation

Coordinate exclusive output ownership and re-enumerate outputs after ownership changes. Repair of DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE 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_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE 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_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE; unrelated adapter, monitor and application state remains unchanged.
• For DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, debug-layer, ETW or driver diagnostics no longer report the rejected VidPN source ownership during Present contract during the same scenario.
• The application handles recurrence of DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE without an unbounded retry loop, leaked resource, duplicate composition target or stale topology handle.

Implementation notes for DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE

For DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, log Present/Present1 result history, WM_SIZE or WM_DISPLAYCHANGE messages, swap-chain description and current IDXGIOutput identity. When the DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE 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_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE 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_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE.

Technical references

• Microsoft: DXGI status codes — background for the VidPN source ownership during Present boundary involved in DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE.
• Microsoft: DXGI overview and presentation — background for the VidPN source ownership during Present boundary involved in DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE.
• Microsoft: DXGI_PRESENT flags — background for the VidPN source ownership during Present boundary involved in DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE.
• Microsoft: DXGI best practices — background for the VidPN source ownership during Present boundary involved in DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE.

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