HRESULT 0x8010006C (SCARD_W_CHV_BLOCKED): meaning and diagnosis

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Description:

the cardholder-verification retry limit was reached and the card credential is blocked.

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SCARD_W_WRONG_CHV	SCARD_W_EOF

SCARD_W_CHV_BLOCKED

The card, not Windows, blocked the credential

SCARD_W_CHV_BLOCKED means that the maximum permitted number of cardholder-verification attempts has been reached. The card can reject further PIN or CHV verification even after the application restarts, the reader is reconnected, or the computer is rebooted. This is a card security state, not a temporary UI failure.

GlobalPlatform specifications describe a blocked cardholder-verification state as persistent across the end of a card session. Returning to an active state normally requires an authorized unblock, a credential-management operation, or issuer-specific recovery. Repeating the same PIN check is therefore not a recovery strategy and can complicate audit or support handling.

Correct next step

Stop automated attempts immediately and preserve the code, reader, card profile, and operation context.
Use the issuer, identity system, or approved administrator recovery procedure; do not attempt to bypass the card policy.
After unblocking, validate the intended credential once rather than running background retry loops.

References

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