HRESULT 0x80040222 (TPC_E_INVALID_STROKE): meaning and diagnosis

Status / error code:

Category:

Constant name:

Source:

Facility:

Operating System:

Description:

Diagnosis and recovery for the stroke object was deleted.

Could be also:
Constant	Type	OS
VFW_E_TOO_MANY_COLORS	HRESULT	Windows

Previous	Next
VFW_E_NO_DISPLAY_PALETTE	VFW_E_TOO_MANY_COLORS

TPC_E_INVALID_STROKE

Meaning and numerical form

TPC_E_INVALID_STROKE is HRESULT 2147746338 (0x80040222; signed -2147220958). AllStat records its meaning as “TabletPC inking error code. The stroke object was deleted”. In practical terms, it is returned when an ink operation references a stroke object or stroke identifier that is no longer valid.

The severity bit in 0x80040222 is set, so this result is a failure result rather than a success or informational status. Its facility is 4 (FACILITY_ITF) and its low 16-bit code is 546 (0x0222). Those fields classify the value but do not identify the component instance, call, object or input that produced it.

Where the failure belongs

This result belongs to Tablet PC ink, stylus and recognition. Tablet PC APIs span device enumeration, RealTimeStylus packet queues, ink-object lifetime and recognizer-specific capabilities. The numerical facility does not identify which Tablet PC layer produced the result. The decisive condition is this: an ink operation references a stroke object or stroke identifier that is no longer valid. Record the first native producer instead of relying only on a framework exception translated several layers later.

Do not infer from this result alone that reinstalling, rebooting or repeating the whole workflow is appropriate. Because it can cross process and language boundaries, its correction depends on the object identity, lifecycle generation, input and state at the first failing call.

Evidence to collect

A useful diagnostic record for this result includes the native API or interface method, component or CLSID, process and thread IDs, architecture, apartment where relevant, operation correlation ID, elapsed time, input identity, and the first state-changing event before failure. When diagnosing it, preserve IErrorInfo, an inner HRESULT, Win32 status, device event or provider message when available.

Capture 1 for this HRESULT: stroke ID, owning ink object identity and edit generation.
Capture 2 for this HRESULT: delete, split, merge and transform events preceding the call.
Capture 3 for this HRESULT: collection membership immediately before the failing operation.

Telemetry for this HRESULT should retain types, lengths, hashes, stable opaque identifiers and lifecycle generations while redacting content and credentials. This makes repeated incidents comparable without exposing ink content, packet data, account details or recognizer input.

Likely causes

Possible cause 1 for this HRESULT: the stroke was deleted from its InkDisp owner.
Possible cause 2 for this HRESULT: the caller retained an identifier across an edit that replaced strokes.
Possible cause 3 for this HRESULT: a stroke from one ink object is passed to an operation on another.

Diagnostic sequence

Capture it at the first native return and identify the exact object and method.
Confirm that the observed path matches this condition: an ink operation references a stroke object or stroke identifier that is no longer valid.
compare the live state with the method contract before changing configuration.
collect the code-specific evidence listed above and preserve any more specific preceding error.
change one evidence-backed cause at a time, then repeat the smallest operation that can prove the correction.
Add a regression check that distinguishes it from the related outcomes described below.

Practical scenario

An eraser removes a stroke while a queued recognition task still holds its ID; generation checks stop the task before it. The result scenario narrows the result to a reproducible contract boundary and supplies a concrete before-and-after test.

Correction and retry boundary

Corrective action 1 for this HRESULT: resolve stroke IDs against the current ink object at use time.
Corrective action 2 for this HRESULT: invalidate cached stroke references after edits.
Corrective action 3 for this HRESULT: keep ownership boundaries explicit when copying or combining ink.

Retry guidance for this HRESULT. Retry after reacquiring the current stroke; never reuse an object known to have been deleted. A retry must avoid this hazard: replay stale strokes, reorder stylus packets or reuse an invalid recognizer context. It must also preserve the evidence needed to locate the original producer of it.

Difference from nearby HRESULTs

TPC_E_NOT_RELEVANT reports missing data required for an operation, while it identifies a deleted or otherwise invalid stroke reference. Keep these outcomes separate in logs, exception mappings, user messages, dashboards and automated retry policy.

Developer and operational guidance

Code handling it should log the failed stage before cleanup, keep ownership and lifecycle transitions explicit, and avoid converting every failure into a generic message. Tests for this HRESULT should cover the primary cause, one adjacent HRESULT and the retry boundary so a future change cannot turn a deterministic contract failure into an uncontrolled loop.

Operational repair for this HRESULT should use supported device, Tablet PC component, recognizer and application lifecycle paths. Avoid unsupported configuration edits or component replacement unless evidence identifies that layer. Retain the original trace and a post-fix trace so the result can be attributed and the change reversed.

Official Microsoft references

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