HRESULT 0x800F0003 (SPAPI_E_GENERAL_SYNTAX): meaning and diagnosis

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Description:

SetupAPI found invalid INF syntax. Use the reported line and INFVerif output to correct the section or directive structure.

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SPAPI_E_SECTION_NAME_TOO_LONG	SPAPI_E_WRONG_INF_STYLE

SPAPI_E_GENERAL_SYNTAX

SPAPI_E_GENERAL_SYNTAX means that the INF parser found syntax that does not conform to INF rules but is not represented by a more specific parser status. The error is normally structural: an invalid directive form, malformed field list, illegal quoting, or a section entry in the wrong context.

How to investigate

Use the line number and surrounding context in SetupAPI.dev.log to locate the first parser failure, not only the final install failure.
Validate the package with INFVerif and resolve the first reported structural problem before interpreting later messages.
Compare the affected directive with the documented syntax for the exact INF section in which it appears.

Microsoft: INF file validation guidance

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