What does HRESULT 0x80040E4B (DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE) mean?

DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE

Accessor is not a parameter accessor

Exact value and result class

DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE has unsigned value 2147749451 (0x80040E4B) and signed 32-bit value -2147217845. AllStat describes it as “Accessor is not a parameter accessor”. In this result, a method that requires parameter bindings receives an accessor created for row data or another purpose.

The high bit is set, so DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE is a failure HRESULT. Its facility is 4 (FACILITY_ITF) and its low code is 3659 (0x0E4B). For DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE, these fields identify an interface-defined result family; they do not identify the provider instance, method, object generation or partial effects.

Contract boundary

For DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE, accessors are created on a specific command or rowset and encode direction, purpose, bound parts and buffer ownership. For DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE, a valid HACCESSOR on one object is not interchangeable with a parameter accessor, a readable row accessor or an accessor created for another generation.

Investigation of DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE should start with the object that created the accessor, its DBACCESSORFLAGS and every DBBINDING entry. Capture DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE before ADO, ATL, .NET or a database abstraction layer replaces the native HRESULT with a generic exception.

Conditions that specifically lead to this result

• Cause 1 for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE: the HACCESSOR was created with row-data flags instead of parameter-data flags.
• Cause 2 for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE: a wrapper reused an accessor from a rowset on a command.
• Cause 3 for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE: the accessor belongs to an earlier command generation.

Evidence to collect

A useful DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE event records provider CLSID and version, process architecture, interface IID and method, object correlation ID, transaction state and the immediately preceding HRESULT. When recording DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE data involving parameter values, row values and provider-owned storage pointers, use types, lengths, hashes or redacted identifiers rather than secrets or complete business data.

• Evidence 1 for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE: the DBACCESSORFLAGS used at CreateAccessor.
• Evidence 2 for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE: the object identity that returned the HACCESSOR.
• Evidence 3 for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE: the parameter ordinals and DBBINDING array used by Execute.

Diagnostic sequence

1. Capture raw 0x80040E4B and symbolic DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE at the native call boundary.
2. Identify the exact failing stage for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE: a method that requires parameter bindings receives an accessor created for row data or another purpose.
3. Retrieve all OLE DB error records for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE before another COM call replaces thread error information.
4. Compare the live object state and provider-granted capabilities with the input that produced DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE.
5. Reduce the DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE operation to the smallest case that preserves the same accessor contract.
6. Apply one evidence-backed correction for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE and verify that the result is not merely replaced by a neighboring HRESULT.

Corrective actions

• Action 1 for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE: create the accessor on the command that owns the parameters.
• Action 2 for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE: use DBACCESSOR_PARAMETERDATA where required.
• Action 3 for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE: invalidate cached accessors whenever command text or parameter metadata changes.

Retry and recovery

Retry rule for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE: retry after replacing the handle with a current parameter accessor owned by the command. A DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE retry is safe only when the relevant input, object generation, capability or external state has changed. Before replaying a modifying call that returned DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE, determine whether rows, schema objects or URL resources were partially created or changed.

Do not turn DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE into an unbounded retry loop. Preserve cancellation for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE and use a fresh provider object when the failed call may have left local state ambiguous.

Practical scenario

A generic binding cache supplies a row accessor to ICommand::Execute; rebuilding it as a parameter accessor removes the type mismatch. Keeping DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE with the method and object state makes this scenario diagnosable instead of reducing it to “database error”.

Difference from nearby HRESULT values

DB_E_BADACCESSORHANDLE means the handle itself is invalid, while DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE means a valid accessor has the wrong purpose. Telemetry and remediation for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE should keep these outcomes distinct.

Developer and operations guidance

Code handling DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE should release COM objects in ownership order, retain per-row, per-column or per-property statuses, and log granted capabilities rather than only requested options. While handling DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE, opaque values such as HACCESSOR, HROW, HCHAPTER, DBID components and provider handles must remain scoped to the object that issued them.

Operational dashboards for DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE should group by provider version, interface, method and normalized failure stage. A DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE event must not expose passwords, tokens, full connection strings, unrestricted command text or raw row contents.

Official Microsoft references

• Microsoft: IAccessor — official documentation relevant to DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE.
• Microsoft: ICommandWithParameters — official documentation relevant to DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE.
• Microsoft: OLE DB interfaces — official documentation relevant to DB_E_BADACCESSORTYPE.

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