| Previous | Next |
| TPM_E_WRONG_ENTITYTYPE | TPM_E_INAPPROPRIATE_SIG |
TPM_E_INVALID_POSTINIT
Meaning beyond the built-in message
TPM_E_INVALID_POSTINIT (0x80280026) belongs to TPM 1.2 command processing. The base What Is page already shows the short Windows message; the additional diagnostic value is that this result marks TPM_Init and TPM_Startup sequencing is inconsistent with the current power-on state of a TPM 1.2 device.
The first producer to identify for this HRESULT is the TPM 1.2 command decoder and state machine. TPM 1.2 is a command/response device with strict binary structures and stateful resources. Windows may present the device response as an HRESULT, but the diagnostic meaning still belongs to the command field, key, session, PCR, NV index or lifecycle check named by the TPM specification.
Read this result as its own boundary in a sequence, not as a verdict that every TPM feature is broken. The sequence reaches TPM_Init and TPM_Startup sequencing is inconsistent with the current power-on state of a TPM 1.2 device, and the component returns 0x80280026 before the application can safely assume that later key, attestation, boot or licensing work occurred.
Decode the relevant state
- Request identity: exact function or command, input lengths, flags, caller context and this result.
- State identity: the startup type, boot or resume path, last TPM_Init/TPM_Startup commands, firmware event log, and whether another stack initialized the TPM first.
- Platform identity for this HRESULT: TPM generation, manufacturer/firmware revision, Windows build and relevant service events.
- Binary identity: preserve opaque structures byte-for-byte and log
0x80280026in hexadecimal.
One-variable test
Reboot once and capture the first tpm commands from startup through the failing command without injecting a second initialization sequence. Keep every other this result test condition unchanged. If the comparison reaches a later checkpoint, then the original the condition has been isolated even when a second defect remains.
| Observed outcome | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| The exact request succeeds | The changed condition belongs to the rejected TPM_Init and TPM_Startup sequencing is inconsistent with the current power-on state of a TPM 1.2 device. |
| A more specific earlier code appears | Preserve the earlier result in the result trace; the previous trace probably lost the first producer. |
| The same code returns with identical bytes | Escalate the persistent it with firmware, service and command evidence rather than broad configuration changes. |
| The code disappears only after destructive reset | The result experiment is not diagnostic because original protected state and evidence were removed. |
Differential diagnosis
| Nearby constant | Why it is different |
|---|---|
TPM_E_INAPPROPRIATE_SIG | Signed data cannot include additional DER information — a separate checkpoint when compared with it. |
TPM_E_WRONG_ENTITYTYPE | The submitted entity type is not allowed — a separate checkpoint when compared with it. |
TPM_E_BAD_KEY_PROPERTY | The key properties in TPM_KEY_PARMs are not supported by this TPM — a separate checkpoint when compared with it. |
For this page, the useful contrast is: TPM_E_BAD_VERSION concerns a requested capability version, while it concerns the initialization timeline.
Supported corrective direction
Apply the narrow remedy: let the platform and TBS own normal startup sequencing; remove duplicate or late legacy initialization calls. Do not clear ownership, delete keys or reset PCR-related state merely to see whether the message disappears; those actions can destroy the evidence and protected material while leaving serialization or command-order defects unchanged.
Close the incident only when the same API or TPM command passes with the intended hardware-backed behavior and the expected output can be independently validated.
References
- TCG: TPM 1.2 Main Specification — source for the checkpoint.
- TCG: TPM 1.2 Part 2 — Structures — source for the checkpoint.
- TCG: TPM 1.2 Part 3 — Commands — source for the checkpoint.
- Microsoft: TPM Base Services portal — source for the checkpoint.
Looking for a different code? Search another status or error code.