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UI_E_CREATE_FAILED
Within Windows Animation Manager, UI_E_CREATE_FAILED reports that object construction failed before a usable animation object was returned. Diagnosis of UI_E_CREATE_FAILED should follow the original owner and generation rather than treating the visible symptom as the cause.
Facts that change the diagnosis
| Capture | Diagnostic value |
|---|---|
| Returning creation method and requested interface for UI_E_CREATE_FAILED. | For UI_E_CREATE_FAILED, this identifies the exact object or resource generation involved and helps test the Windows Animation Manager boundary. |
| Manager and transition-library identities for UI_E_CREATE_FAILED. | For UI_E_CREATE_FAILED, this places the failure on the lifecycle or transaction timeline and helps test the Windows Animation Manager boundary. |
| Output pointer state and allocation pressure for UI_E_CREATE_FAILED. | For UI_E_CREATE_FAILED, this separates caller input from environment and service state and helps test the Windows Animation Manager boundary. |
| Thread apartment and callback activity for UI_E_CREATE_FAILED. | For UI_E_CREATE_FAILED, this provides a stable comparison across retries or another machine and helps test the Windows Animation Manager boundary. |
Subsystem meaning
During a UI_E_CREATE_FAILED investigation, Windows Animation is a stateful COM subsystem. For UI_E_CREATE_FAILED, animation variables, transitions and storyboards are created under a manager, scheduled against a monotonic animation time, updated before drawing, and eventually sealed or released. When UI_E_CREATE_FAILED is returned, a visible glitch can therefore be downstream of a lifecycle, ownership, timeline, callback, or numeric contract failure.
For UI_E_CREATE_FAILED, creation can fail at manager, variable, storyboard, transition-library, or timer boundaries. When UI_E_CREATE_FAILED is returned, identify the exact factory method and preserve whether the output pointer stayed null; a later animation scheduling failure is a different stage.
For UI_E_CREATE_FAILED, the first owner to inspect is the animation manager, storyboard, transition, timer, or callback that returned the HRESULT.
Isolation workflow
When UI_E_CREATE_FAILED is returned, use a disposable control object, repository copy, file, or device association where the subsystem permits it.
- First: Create a manager and one animation variable with no callbacks.
- Next: Add the requested transition library or timer separately.
- Then: Check every creation HRESULT before dereferencing the output.
- Finally: Repeat under the same COM apartment with a fresh manager generation.
Avoid the tempting broad fix
During a UI_E_CREATE_FAILED investigation, it is earlier than storyboard validation or playback: no valid object exists yet.
For UI_E_CREATE_FAILED, do not substitute a null pointer crash or E_OUTOFMEMORY assumption for the original creation HRESULT.
Expected branches
| Control | Interpretation for UI_E_CREATE_FAILED | Hold constant |
|---|---|---|
| Same input, fresh object or connection | For UI_E_CREATE_FAILED, if the result disappears, retained lifecycle or ownership state is implicated. | While diagnosing UI_E_CREATE_FAILED, keep the original data, account, device, or timeline parameters unchanged. |
| Same object, reduced operation | For UI_E_CREATE_FAILED, if the result follows one specific transition, statement, file, or ceremony step, the failure is localized. | While diagnosing UI_E_CREATE_FAILED, remove only unrelated work and keep the first failing boundary visible. |
| Same operation, controlled environment | For UI_E_CREATE_FAILED, if the result follows one machine, account, volume, network, or device, environment matters. | While diagnosing UI_E_CREATE_FAILED, keep versions and identity explicit rather than comparing only the final message. |
Regression proof
Verify UI_E_CREATE_FAILED with the original scenario, one boundary case, and one deliberate failure; success means the exact creation call repeatedly returns S_OK and produces an object that can complete one minimal lifecycle.
Technical references
The references below define the API family or storage/protocol behavior used to interpret UI_E_CREATE_FAILED.
- For
UI_E_CREATE_FAILED: Microsoft: Windows Animation error codes - Microsoft: Windows Animation overview
- Microsoft: Schedule a storyboard
- Microsoft: IUIAnimationManager interface
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