| Previous | Next |
| WCM_E_ABORTOPERATION | WCM_E_INVALIDPROCESSORFORMAT |
WCM_E_MISSINGCONFIGURATION
WCM_E_MISSINGCONFIGURATION is the failure HRESULT 0x80220029 (signed decimal -2145255383, unsigned decimal 2149711913). Its severity bit is 1, facility is 34 (FACILITY_STATE_MANAGEMENT), and the facility-specific code field is 0x0029.
AllStat records the Windows SDK description as “CONFIGURATION and or related tags are missing”
What the HRESULT establishes
Required CONFIGURATION metadata is absent. The operation reached manifest compilation when the compiler expects the SMI configuration section and related elements. The first branch to test is whether the wrong XML file was supplied as a settings manifest; keep that separate from the possibility that packaging omitted the CONFIGURATION section.
Processing stage
At this boundary, capture document root and namespace declarations, then correlate it with presence and location of CONFIGURATION and required related tags. Assign ownership only after checking source package contents and transformation output.
Failure patterns to separate
- the wrong XML file was supplied as a settings manifest
- packaging omitted the CONFIGURATION section
- namespace/schema declarations exist but their configuration body was stripped
- a transformation selected an empty branch for the target
Capture these facts first
- document root and namespace declarations
- presence and location of CONFIGURATION and required related tags
- source package contents and transformation output
- target architecture/language conditions
- ISettingsResult source and line
A safe investigation order
- verify that the input is the intended SMI source manifest
- restore the required structural section from the authoritative component source
- inspect preprocessed XML for branch removal
- validate package completeness before invoking SMI
- compile the minimal complete configuration skeleton before adding settings
Recovery conditions
Retry only with a structurally complete manifest. Adding individual setting values cannot compensate for a missing configuration section.
Do not confuse it with adjacent codes
WCM_E_SOURCEMANEMPTYVALUE concerns an empty value inside a source manifest. MISSINGCONFIGURATION means the required configuration structure itself is absent.
Deployment example
A packaging rule copies only localization metadata and drops the CONFIGURATION section. The file is valid XML but is not a complete SMI source manifest.
Telemetry fields worth retaining
For operational telemetry, retain source package contents and transformation output; also record target architecture/language conditions. Preserve a redacted summary of ISettingsResult source and line; use a cryptographic hash when that evidence is a file, stream, or generated artifact.
Official Microsoft references.
- Microsoft: SMI error and success constants.
- Microsoft: Settings Management Infrastructure API.
- Microsoft: SMI interfaces.
- Microsoft: ISettingsContext::Deserialize.
- Microsoft: ISettingsResult::GetLine.
Looking for a different code? Search another status or error code.