NTSTATUS 0xC000022B (STATUS_OBJECTID_EXISTS): meaning and diagnosis

Status / error code:		Category:

Constant name:
Source:		Operating System:
Description: The target already has an object identifier, so a create-only set request cannot replace it.

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STATUS_DUPLICATE_OBJECTID	STATUS_CONVERT_TO_LARGE

STATUS_OBJECTID_EXISTS

An object ID is already attached to this file or directory

FSCTL_SET_OBJECT_ID is not an overwrite operation. If the object already has an ID, assigning another one is rejected to protect the tracking relationships associated with the existing value.

First determine whether the current ID is correct. Deleting and replacing it can break distributed link tracking or application metadata, and Microsoft explicitly warns that arbitrary object-ID modification can cause data loss.

What to inspect

Read the existing ID with FSCTL_GET_OBJECT_ID.
Prefer create-or-get semantics when the caller only needs a stable identifier.
Replace an ID only as part of a documented repair or restore operation with a verified backup.

References

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