What does HRESULT 0x8004173B (FILTER_E_NO_SUCH_PROPERTY) mean?

FILTER_E_NO_SUCH_PROPERTY

The requested property GUID is not exposed by the document

FILTER_E_NO_SUCH_PROPERTY is HRESULT 0x8004173B. Windows documents it as “There is no property with the given GUID.”

Where the result belongs

This result belongs to resolving a property-set/property identifier against the current object or filter metadata. The exact property identity is absent or unsupported for this handler and document.

Concrete causes

• Check the property-set GUID is wrong.
• Check a PID belongs to another format version.
• Check the caller assumes every handler exposes the same metadata.
• Check schema registration and request are out of sync.

Compare the failing case with a control that preserves full GUID and property ID and changes only document format and version; this prevents unrelated environment differences from dominating the test.

Evidence to retain

• Full GUID and property ID
• Document format and version
• Requested attribute list passed to Init
• Properties actually emitted by the filter

Capture full GUID and property ID before releasing objects, closing handles or reconnecting. Retain the raw HRESULT with document format and version, component version, UTC timestamp and correlation ID.

Diagnostic path

1. Preserve the complete property specification, not only a display name.
2. Compare it with the schema for this document type.
3. Inspect whether Init restricted the emitted attributes.
4. Use a known supported property as a control.

Preserve the component version and target identity, then alter only the condition described as the exact property identity is absent or unsupported for this handler and document.

Recovery and retry

Request a supported canonical property or handle absence explicitly. Retry only after schema, document or handler capability changes. Record whether resolving a property-set/property identifier against the current object or filter metadata produced any content, update or state transition before returning.

Retry only after a concrete change in full GUID and property ID or document format and version.

What must not be inferred

It does not mean the property value is empty; the property identity itself was not found. Without the call boundary for resolving a property-set/property identifier against the current object or filter metadata, it also cannot identify which wrapper or configuration layer introduced the condition.

Nearby results

FILTER_E_NO_VALUES describes a current chunk with no values, whereas this HRESULT rejects a specific property identity.

Developer and administrator actions

• Record full GUID and property ID with the returned HRESULT.
• In telemetry, correlate document format and version with the target and component generation.
• For regression coverage, force the documented condition: the exact property identity is absent or unsupported for this handler and document.

Operational example

A caller uses a custom property GUID from one document family against another. Canonical schema validation prevents the invalid request.

Official Microsoft references

• Microsoft: Content-Indexing values — official contract information relevant to this HRESULT.
• Microsoft: IFilter::Init
• Microsoft: IFilter::GetValue
• Microsoft: filter handlers in Windows Search
• Microsoft: Filter-Interface values