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TPM_E_BAD_ATTRIBUTES
Read the result in context
TPM_E_BAD_ATTRIBUTES (0x80280042) belongs to TPM 1.2 nonvolatile-storage policy. The base What Is page already shows the short Windows message; the additional diagnostic value is that this result marks the combination of TPM 1.2 NV attributes is internally contradictory or forbidden.
The first producer to identify for this HRESULT is the TPM 1.2 NV permission and lifecycle checks. TPM 1.2 NV indices combine permissions, authorization mode, locality masks and lock semantics. Two indices of the same size can behave differently because those attributes were fixed when each index was defined.
The result value 0x80280042 should remain attached to the symbolic name. Some this result logs store the value as a negative signed integer; others expose only a generic CNG, WMI, BitLocker or enrollment message. Neither substitution identifies the combination of TPM 1.2 NV attributes is internally contradictory or forbidden as precisely as it.
Fields worth decoding
- Producer for this HRESULT: the TPM 1.2 NV permission and lifecycle checks.
- Rejected invariant: the combination of TPM 1.2 NV attributes is internally contradictory or forbidden.
- Decisive capture: all permission bits, locality masks, index type, authorization flags, size, and the define-space structure before serialization.
- Safe comparison: start from a minimal accepted NV definition and add one attribute at a time until the conflicting pair is isolated.
Controlled comparison
Build the result minimal case around the original command contract. Use a disposable object when the request can write NV data, advance a counter, change authorization state or consume a lock transition. The comparison is valid only when the caller, TPM generation and security policy remain the same.
| Question | Evidence for this HRESULT |
|---|---|
| What exact state was rejected? | the combination of TPM 1.2 NV attributes is internally contradictory or forbidden |
| Which layer owns the result? | The TPM 1.2 NV permission and lifecycle checks. |
| What must be correlated? | all permission bits, locality masks, index type, authorization flags, size, and the define-space structure before serialization |
| What is the controlled comparison? | start from a minimal accepted NV definition and add one attribute at a time until the conflicting pair is isolated |
Adjacent failure boundaries
| Constant | Checkpoint represented by its standard message |
|---|---|
TPM_E_NOT_FULLWRITE | The write is not a complete write of the area — a separate checkpoint when compared with this result. |
TPM_E_WRITE_LOCKED | The NV area has already been written to — a separate checkpoint when compared with this result. |
TPM_E_MAXNVWRITES | The maximum number of NV writes without an owner has been exceeded — a separate checkpoint when compared with it. |
The codes above may appear in the same workflow, but they are not aliases. TPM_E_PER_NOWRITE focuses on missing write protection, while this code covers broader attribute conflicts.
Repair without destroying evidence
Redesign the index policy with a supported attribute combination; do not patch only the returned hresult. Do not undefine a production NV index until its public attributes and authorization policy have been recorded. NV policy is established at definition time, and destructive recreation can remove counters, certificates or provisioning state.
Proof for this HRESULT consists of a successful replay plus validation of the intended key, PCR, NV, context, event-log, provider or service result. A software fallback or a newly provisioned blank TPM answers a different question than it.
Source material
- TCG: TPM 1.2 Main Specification — source for the checkpoint.
- TCG: TPM 1.2 Part 2 — NV structures and permissions — source for the checkpoint.
- TCG: TPM 1.2 Part 3 — NV commands — source for the checkpoint.
- Microsoft: Win32_Tpm class — source for the checkpoint.
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