What does HRESULT 0xC0262359 (ERROR_GRAPHICS_MAX_NUM_PATHS_REACHED) mean?

 
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ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_MONITOR_FREQUENCYRANGE_CONSTRAINT ERROR_GRAPHICS_CANCEL_VIDPN_TOPOLOGY_AUGMENTATION

ERROR_GRAPHICS_MAX_NUM_PATHS_REACHED

Locate the failing graphics boundary: graphics max num paths reached

ERROR_GRAPHICS_MAX_NUM_PATHS_REACHED, value 0xC0262359, is produced by vidpn when the candidate topology would exceed the number of simultaneous source-target paths supported by the adapter. The investigation should stay attached to adapter present-path capacity and to the exact generation in which it was obtained.

Evidence that makes the result actionable

Capture itemWhy it matters for this HRESULT
Supporting tracesource and target IDs, topology generation, path descriptors, pinned modes, mode-set handles and monitor timing data
Object identityadapter present-path capacity
Rejected boundarythe candidate topology would exceed the number of simultaneous source-target paths supported by the adapter
Decisive capturecurrent paths, proposed path, source/target IDs, adapter path limit and clone/extend mode
Current graph stateVidPN, topology, source and target mode sets, and the present path connecting them

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.

A controlled comparison

  1. Freeze the result generation. Record current paths, proposed path, source/target IDs, adapter path limit and clone/extend mode. Before diagnosing this result, do not resize, hot-plug, recreate or release the object under examination.
  2. Run the narrow it comparison. remove one path or switch from extend to a supported clone arrangement. During the result comparison, keep every driver, monitor, resource format and unrelated policy unchanged.
  3. Observe the layer after it. for this HRESULT, if the exact check passes, record the next HRESULT or visible outcome. A different downstream result shows that the boundary was crossed.
  4. Repeat it through a lifecycle transition. for this HRESULT, 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_VIDEO_PRESENT_TARGETS_LESS_THAN_SOURCES is especially useful: ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDEO_PRESENT_TARGETS_LESS_THAN_SOURCES describes an insufficient-target topology relation. Recording both names prevents a broad “graphics error” label from merging distinct ownership, capability and lifetime problems.

Correction and proof

Construct topologies within the driver-advertised path capacity and present a clear UI fallback. 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 this HRESULT; unrelated adapter, monitor and application state remains unchanged.
  • debug-layer, ETW or driver diagnostics no longer report the rejected adapter present-path capacity 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

Technical references


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