What does HRESULT 0x80040E57 (DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW) mean?

 
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DB_E_PENDINGCHANGES DB_E_BADHRESULT

DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW

Literal value in the command exceeded the range of the type of the associated column

Exact value and result class

DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW has unsigned value 2147749463 (0x80040E57) and signed 32-bit value -2147217833. AllStat describes it as “Literal value in the command exceeded the range of the type of the associated column”. In this result, command processing finds that a literal value exceeds the range of the associated column type.

The high bit is set, so DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW is a failure HRESULT. Its facility is 4 (FACILITY_ITF) and its low code is 3671 (0x0E57). For DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW, these fields identify an interface-defined result family; they do not identify the provider instance, method, object generation or partial effects.

Conditions that specifically lead to this result

  • Cause 1 for DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW: a numeric literal is outside the provider type range.
  • Cause 2 for DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW: a date or time literal cannot be represented by the target type.
  • Cause 3 for DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW: schema metadata changed while generated command text retained an older range assumption.

Contract boundary

For DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW, OLE DB distinguishes numeric ordinals, DBID-based column identifiers and per-column status. For DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW, metadata from IColumnsInfo or a row object is authoritative for the current result shape; cached identifiers can become invalid after command, schema or projection changes.

Investigation of DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW should start with the current command result, rowset or row object and the metadata generation from which the column reference came. Capture DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW before ADO, ATL, .NET or a database abstraction layer replaces the native HRESULT with a generic exception.

Diagnostic sequence

  1. Capture raw 0x80040E57 and symbolic DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW at the native call boundary.
  2. Identify the exact failing stage for DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW: command processing finds that a literal value exceeds the range of the associated column type.
  3. Retrieve all OLE DB error records for DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW 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_DATAOVERFLOW.
  5. Reduce the DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW operation to the smallest case that preserves the same column contract.
  6. Apply one evidence-backed correction for DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW and verify that the result is not merely replaced by a neighboring HRESULT.

Evidence to collect

A useful DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW 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_DATAOVERFLOW data involving column names, row values and query projections, use types, lengths, hashes or redacted identifiers rather than secrets or complete business data.

  • Evidence 1 for DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW: the literal token in redacted form.
  • Evidence 2 for DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW: the target column provider type, precision and scale.
  • Evidence 3 for DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW: provider-native diagnostic records identifying the conversion boundary.

Corrective actions

  • Action 1 for DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW: parameterize values with explicit type metadata.
  • Action 2 for DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW: validate ranges using current provider schema information.
  • Action 3 for DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW: choose a wider target type only when the data model permits it.

Practical scenario

Generated SQL embeds an integer larger than a small target column; a typed parameter catches the range mismatch before execution. Keeping DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW with the method and object state makes this scenario diagnosable instead of reducing it to “database error”.

Retry and recovery

Retry rule for DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW: retry after changing the literal or target schema so the value is representable. A DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW 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_DATAOVERFLOW, determine whether rows, schema objects or URL resources were partially created or changed.

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

Difference from nearby HRESULT values

DB_E_CANTCONVERTVALUE can reject a particular conversion, while DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW specifically identifies a value outside the target range. Telemetry and remediation for DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW should keep these outcomes distinct.

Developer and operations guidance

Code handling DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW 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_DATAOVERFLOW, 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_DATAOVERFLOW should group by provider version, interface, method and normalized failure stage. A DB_E_DATAOVERFLOW event must not expose passwords, tokens, full connection strings, unrestricted command text or raw row contents.

Official Microsoft references

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