What does HRESULT 0x80080003 (CO_E_SCM_RPC_FAILURE) mean?

 
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CO_E_SCM_ERROR CO_E_BAD_PATH

CO_E_SCM_RPC_FAILURE

CO_E_SCM_RPC_FAILURE0x80080003

This code places the first failure in RPC exchange with the COM SCM. Operationally, the client selected the SCM activation path but the RPC request or reply failed before a usable class object was returned.

What the status narrows down

A server that starts and then crashes can surface as an RPC failure, so reachability alone does not prove the network is responsible.

Evidence worth preserving

  • RPC status nested in the HRESULT, client/server machine, protocol sequence, and endpoint
  • RPCSS/DCOM service health and network/firewall state at the failure timestamp
  • Packet loss, authentication package, name resolution, and dynamic RPC port reachability
  • Server process lifetime and whether it exits while the activation RPC is outstanding

A controlled diagnostic sequence

  1. Test local activation on the server to separate registration from network RPC.
  2. Use an RPC connectivity test while preserving authentication and machine names.
  3. Capture one failing activation with ETW or network trace and compare it with a successful control.

Correction and proof

Apply the smallest change that addresses the first rejected condition: Correct the RPC/DCOM transport, authentication, endpoint, or server crash identified by the first failed exchange.

Close the incident only when cold and concurrent activations complete without RPC retries, while a blocked dynamic-port control produces a distinct and reproducible transport failure.

Technical references

These references define the HRESULT family and subsystem contract used above:


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