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E_INVALID_PROTOCOL_OPERATION
E_INVALID_PROTOCOL_OPERATION (0x83760001) means the Windows protocol component encountered operation is illegal in the current WebSocket state. The application calls a session function out of sequence: for example, sending, receiving, completing an action, or closing when the handle is not in a state that permits it. For E_INVALID_PROTOCOL_OPERATION, identify the failing layer before changing HTTP, TLS, or application payload settings.
Reconstruct the state machine
| Phase | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Handshake | Record begin/end client or server handshake calls and their results. |
| Action queue | Keep each WebSocketGetAction result and matching WebSocketCompleteAction. |
| Close path | Record close frame initiation, receipt, and any pending send or receive. |
Concurrency check
- Define which thread owns each session transition.
- Do not issue a second action while the previous action requires completion.
- Capture cancellation and teardown interleavings.
Minimal test
- Run one send and one receive after a completed handshake
- Complete every returned action exactly once
- Introduce the suspected out-of-order call as a negative control
Interpretation
This status is about call order, not malformed frame bytes. If the state sequence is legal but peer data is invalid, E_INVALID_PROTOCOL_FORMAT is the closer boundary.
Match every action with its completion
In the Windows WebSocket API, the action queue and application buffers form a state machine. Record the action type, application context, buffer count, and whether the corresponding completion call occurred before another operation reused the same handle. A valid frame cannot repair an illegal local call order.
Incident record for E_INVALID_PROTOCOL_OPERATION
| Record | Purpose |
|---|---|
| First failing operation | API name, object state, and exact return point |
| Original representation | Unmodified bytes or a stable hash captured before repair or normalization |
| Contract identity | Schema, protocol, database, or persistence version with feature flags |
| Negative control | One intentionally invalid case that must remain rejected |
Repeatability versus recovery for E_INVALID_PROTOCOL_OPERATION
A retry that drops E_INVALID_PROTOCOL_OPERATION may reflect changed process state, cache contents, timing, or input; repeat the same test in a fresh process and after the correction to distinguish repair from a transient path change.
Opening handshake evidence for E_INVALID_PROTOCOL_OPERATION
| Boundary | Required evidence |
|---|---|
| Client request | Method, target, Host, Upgrade, Connection, key, version, protocols, and extensions |
| Server response | Status, Upgrade, Connection, accept value, selected protocol, and extensions |
| Windows API inputs | Arrays, counts, and selected indices passed before the return |
| Post-handshake actions | Action types, buffers, context tokens, and completion calls |
Deterministic protocol boundary for E_INVALID_PROTOCOL_OPERATION
Capture the first peer bytes or API transition yielding E_INVALID_PROTOCOL_OPERATION; backoff can limit a reconnect storm but cannot repair negotiation or state, and direct versus proxied tests may differ because an intermediary can terminate and recreate the WebSocket.
Regression sequence for E_INVALID_PROTOCOL_OPERATION
- Complete a baseline RFC 6455 handshake without optional extensions
- Exchange text and binary messages through the documented action loop
- Perform a clean close in both directions
- Introduce only the version, protocol, extension, frame, or call-order defect represented here
Wire and API ownership for E_INVALID_PROTOCOL_OPERATION
| Boundary | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| HTTP upgrade | Owns request and response header syntax before the session opens |
| WebSocket framing | Owns opcode, masking, reserved bits, length encoding, fragmentation, and control-frame rules |
| Negotiated feature | Owns extension or subprotocol selection and its parameters |
| Windows action loop | Owns local handle state, buffers, action completion, and close sequencing |
Technical references for E_INVALID_PROTOCOL_OPERATION
- Microsoft Open Specifications: HRESULT values
- Microsoft WebSocket handshake completion
- Microsoft WebSocket action queue API
- RFC 6455: The WebSocket Protocol
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