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DB_E_BADVALUES
Meaning
Windows documents DB_E_BADVALUES as “Value is invalid”. Here, an OLE DB operation receives one or more values that are invalid for its contract but are not classified by a narrower result.
Evidence to collect before changing the system
When it involves command text, parameter values, object names and query-plan details, record types, lengths, hashes or redacted identifiers instead of secrets or full business data.
- Evidence 1: the method, structure type and exact field names rejected.
- Evidence 2: per-element status arrays and OLE DB error records.
- Evidence 3: the provider version and capability set used to validate the values.
Relevant OLE DB contract
This result must be interpreted against this contract: an OLE DB command moves through explicit states: command definition, properties and parameters are established before optional preparation and execution; dialect, query-tree and optimizer contracts are provider-specific and should be inferred only from reported capabilities.
Specific conditions that produce it
- Cause 1: an enumeration or numeric field is outside its allowed domain.
- Cause 2: a required structure member is inconsistent with related members.
- Cause 3: a provider-specific property or command-tree value violates documented constraints.
Corrective actions
- Action 1: validate every value against the specific method contract.
- Action 2: prefer typed enumerations and checked structure builders over raw integers.
- Action 3: use provider diagnostics to identify the rejected element before changing data broadly.
Practical incident
A command-tree builder leaves a node field initialized to an unsupported sentinel and the provider returns it; constructing the node through a validated helper fixes the call.
Retry and recovery policy
Retry rule: retry only after replacing the invalid value set with one that meets the method contract.
Difference from related HRESULT values
DB_E_BADPROPERTYVALUE specifically rejects a property value, while DB_E_BADVALUES is the broader invalid-value result for the operation.
Official Microsoft references
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