| Previous | Next |
| ERROR_GRAPHICS_CANT_ACCESS_ACTIVE_VIDPN | ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_PATH_CONTENT_GEOMETRY_TRANSFORMATION |
ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_PATH_IMPORTANCE_ORDINAL
Interpret the result in its owning layer: graphics invalid path importance ordinal
ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_PATH_IMPORTANCE_ORDINAL (0xC0262344) belongs to the vidpn layer. It marks the path importance ordinal is outside the valid unique ordering for the topology, rather than a generic rendering failure. The object that owns the decision is present-path priority ordering.
Audit the full ordinal map
Importance is a topology-wide ordering property, not an arbitrary priority attached independently to each path. Dump every source-target pair and its ordinal, then check range and uniqueness after sorting. Preserve which path represents the primary view and which paths were added later. Repair by rebuilding a compact ordering for the whole topology instead of incrementing one path until an unused number happens to appear.
This result: VidPN handles and subobjects are generation-bound. A monitor hot-plug, docking action, session switch or mode commit can invalidate an otherwise well-formed cached object. 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.
Capture before recreating objects
| Capture item | Why it matters for it |
|---|---|
| Rejected boundary | the path importance ordinal is outside the valid unique ordering for the topology |
| Decisive capture | path source/target IDs, all assigned ordinals, path count and recommendation context |
| Current graph state | VidPN, topology, source and target mode sets, and the present path connecting them |
| Supporting trace | source and target IDs, topology generation, path descriptors, pinned modes, mode-set handles and monitor timing data |
| Object identity | present-path priority ordering |
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 this result.
Reproduce one variable at a time
- Freeze the result generation. Record path source/target IDs, all assigned ordinals, path count and recommendation context. Before diagnosing this result, do not resize, hot-plug, recreate or release the object under examination.
- Run the narrow this result comparison. assign a unique ordinal within the available range and compare. During the result comparison, keep every driver, monitor, resource format and unrelated policy unchanged.
- Observe the layer after it. for it, if the exact check passes, record the next HRESULT or visible outcome. A different downstream result shows that the boundary was crossed.
- Repeat it through a lifecycle transition. for it, exercise one relevant resize, mode switch, device recreation, hot-plug or session change and confirm that it does not reuse stale handles.
The comparison with ERROR_GRAPHICS_NO_AVAILABLE_IMPORTANCE_ORDINALS is especially useful: ERROR_GRAPHICS_NO_AVAILABLE_IMPORTANCE_ORDINALS means the valid ordinal space is exhausted. Recording both names prevents a broad “graphics error” label from merging distinct ownership, capability and lifetime problems.
Recovery contract
Allocate ordinals from the topology instead of reusing a fixed value. Repair of it 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 result 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 it; unrelated adapter, monitor and application state remains unchanged.
- debug-layer, ETW or driver diagnostics no longer report the rejected present-path priority ordering contract during the same scenario.
- The application handles recurrence of it without an unbounded retry loop, leaked resource, duplicate composition target or stale topology handle.
Implementation notes
Log source and target IDs, topology generation, path descriptors, pinned modes, mode-set handles and monitor timing data. When the 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 it 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 it.
Technical references
- Microsoft: Introduction to Video Present Networks — background for the present-path priority ordering boundary involved in it.
- Microsoft: VidPN objects and interfaces
- Microsoft: Enumerating cofunctional VidPN modes
- Microsoft: Determining VidPN support
Looking for a different code? Search another status or error code.