HRESULT 0xC0262342 (ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN

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Description:

Specified VidPN source is already owned by a DMM client and cannot be used until that client releases it.

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ERROR_GRAPHICS_NO_DISPLAY_MODE_MANAGEMENT_SUPPORT	ERROR_GRAPHICS_CANT_ACCESS_ACTIVE_VIDPN

ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE

What Windows rejected: graphics vidpn source in use

ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, value 0xC0262342, is produced by vidpn when another display-mode-management client already owns the source. The investigation should stay attached to DMM client ownership of a VidPN source and to the exact generation in which it was obtained.

ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE: VidPN handles and subobjects are generation-bound. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, A monitor hot-plug, docking action, session switch or mode commit can invalidate an otherwise well-formed cached object. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, 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.

Build a useful diagnostic record

Capture item	Why it matters for `ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE`
Supporting trace	source and target IDs, topology generation, path descriptors, pinned modes, mode-set handles and monitor timing data
Object identity	DMM client ownership of a VidPN source
Rejected boundary	another display-mode-management client already owns the source
Decisive capture	source ID, owning DMM client, full-screen state, output mapping and acquisition/release timestamps
Current graph state	VidPN, topology, source and target mode sets, and the present path connecting them

For ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, 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 ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE.

Separate state from capability

Freeze the ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE generation. Record source ID, owning DMM client, full-screen state, output mapping and acquisition/release timestamps. Before diagnosing ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, do not resize, hot-plug, recreate or release the object under examination.
Run the narrow ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE comparison. release the competing owner and retry without changing the topology. During the ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE comparison, keep every driver, monitor, resource format and unrelated policy unchanged.
Observe the layer after ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, if the exact check passes, record the next HRESULT or visible outcome. A different downstream result shows that the ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE boundary was crossed.
Repeat ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE through a lifecycle transition. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, 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_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE is especially useful: DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE is presentation feedback at the swap-chain layer. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, recording both names prevents a broad “graphics error” label from merging distinct ownership, capability and lifetime problems.

Verify the repaired path

Serialize source ownership and release it on every transition and failure path. Repair of ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE 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 ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE 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 ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE; unrelated adapter, monitor and application state remains unchanged.
For ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, debug-layer, ETW or driver diagnostics no longer report the rejected DMM client ownership of a VidPN source contract during the same scenario.
The application handles recurrence of ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE without an unbounded retry loop, leaked resource, duplicate composition target or stale topology handle.

Implementation notes for `ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE`

For ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE, log source and target IDs, topology generation, path descriptors, pinned modes, mode-set handles and monitor timing data. When the ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE 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 ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE 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 ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE.

Technical references

Microsoft: Introduction to Video Present Networks — background for the DMM client ownership of a VidPN source boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE.
Microsoft: VidPN objects and interfaces — background for the DMM client ownership of a VidPN source boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE.
Microsoft: Enumerating cofunctional VidPN modes — background for the DMM client ownership of a VidPN source boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE.
Microsoft: Determining VidPN support — background for the DMM client ownership of a VidPN source boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE.

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