What does HRESULT 0x887A0030 (DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY) mean?

DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY

Locate the failing graphics boundary: hw protection outofmemory

The useful interpretation of DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY (0x887A0030) starts at the dxgi error boundary: creation or use of protected graphics resources exceeded the memory available to the hardware-protection path. In practical terms, inspect hardware-protected memory pool before changing application-wide graphics settings.

DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY: Do not erase all shader caches or recreate every graphics object before preserving the first failing call. For DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY, Cache, policy, remote-session and device-lifetime failures have different recovery rules. For DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY, the built-in one-line message identifies the immediate result; diagnosis also needs the producing API, object ownership and the display generation current at the time.

Evidence that makes this result actionable

For DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY, preserve the unsigned HRESULT, symbolic name, first failing API and timestamp in one record. If cleanup later fails too, keep that secondary result separately from DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY.

A controlled comparison

1. Freeze the DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY generation. Record protected-session type, protected resource dimensions, format, allocation count, adapter budget and protection capability queries. Before diagnosing DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY, do not resize, hot-plug, recreate or release the object under examination.
2. Run the narrow DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY comparison. repeat with a smaller protected allocation set while leaving unprotected rendering unchanged. During the DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY comparison, keep every driver, monitor, resource format and unrelated policy unchanged.
3. Observe the layer after DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY. For DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY, if the exact check passes, record the next HRESULT or visible outcome. A different downstream result shows that the DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY boundary was crossed.
4. Repeat DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY through a lifecycle transition. For DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY, exercise one relevant resize, mode switch, device recreation, hot-plug or session change and confirm that this result does not reuse stale handles.

The comparison with DXGI_ERROR_CANNOT_PROTECT_CONTENT is especially useful: DXGI_ERROR_CANNOT_PROTECT_CONTENT concerns unsupported protection capability rather than exhausted protected memory. For DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY, recording both names prevents a broad “graphics error” label from merging distinct ownership, capability and lifetime problems.

Correction and proof

Release protected resources, reduce their footprint and recreate the protected session according to the content-protection policy. Repair of DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY is complete only when the original call succeeds or returns its documented nonfatal status and the same lifetime test remains correct after a second display transition.

• The DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY trace identifies one producing API and one current graphics object, rather than only the final UI symptom.
• The passing run changes exactly the condition described for DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY; unrelated adapter, monitor and application state remains unchanged.
• For DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY, debug-layer, ETW or driver diagnostics no longer report the rejected hardware-protected memory pool contract during the same scenario.
• The application handles recurrence of DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY without an unbounded retry loop, leaked resource, duplicate composition target or stale topology handle.

Implementation notes for DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY

For DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY, log DXGI debug messages, adapter LUID, driver version, device-removal reason where applicable and the exact API parameters. When the DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY path returns a count, size, status flag or replacement object, retain it even on a nonfatal result because it can direct the next call.

A production fallback for DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY should be explicit: pause rendering, re-enumerate, rebuild one cache entry, recreate a device, or decline a protected path only when this layer calls for that action. Reinstalling every display component, deleting all caches or forcing a resolution change is not an evidence-based fix for DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY.

Technical references

• Microsoft: DXGI error codes — background for the hardware-protected memory pool boundary involved in DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY.
• Microsoft: DXGI overview — background for the hardware-protected memory pool boundary involved in DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY.
• Microsoft: Direct3D 12 shader cache StoreValue — background for the hardware-protected memory pool boundary involved in DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY.
• Microsoft: Handle device-removed scenarios — background for the hardware-protected memory pool boundary involved in DXGI_ERROR_HW_PROTECTION_OUTOFMEMORY.

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