HRESULT 0xC02625E4 (ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID

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The function failed because an invalid pointer parameter was passed to it. A pointer parameter is invalid if it is NULL, points to an invalid address, points to a kernel mode address, or is not correctly aligned.

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ERROR_GRAPHICS_MIRRORING_DEVICES_NOT_SUPPORTED	ERROR_GRAPHICS_NO_MONITORS_CORRESPOND_TO_DISPLAY_DEVICE

ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER

What Windows rejected: graphics invalid pointer

Windows reports ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER (0xC02625E4) at the gdi monitor checkpoint. Here, one of the pointer arguments is null, inaccessible, kernel-addressed or incorrectly aligned. That narrows the first investigation to graphics configuration API pointer contract instead of the entire GPU stack.

ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER: A display adapter can be enumerated without being attached to the current desktop or without owning a physical monitor. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER, Keep those states distinct in UI and logs. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER, 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_INVALID_POINTER`
Supporting trace	EnumDisplayDevices snapshot, DISPLAY_DEVICE flags, session ID, HMONITOR list and physical-monitor count
Object identity	graphics configuration API pointer contract
Rejected boundary	one of the pointer arguments is null, inaccessible, kernel-addressed or incorrectly aligned
Decisive capture	API name, pointer values, buffer sizes, alignment, process bitness and structure version
Current graph state	GDI display-device enumeration, desktop attachment and physical-monitor mapping

For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER, 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_INVALID_POINTER.

Separate state from capability

Freeze the ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER generation. Record API name, pointer values, buffer sizes, alignment, process bitness and structure version. Before diagnosing ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER, do not resize, hot-plug, recreate or release the object under examination.
Run the narrow ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER comparison. replace caller buffers with local correctly sized structures and repeat. During the ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER comparison, keep every driver, monitor, resource format and unrelated policy unchanged.
Observe the layer after ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER, if the exact check passes, record the next HRESULT or visible outcome. A different downstream result shows that the ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER boundary was crossed.
Repeat ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER through a lifecycle transition. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER, 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 ERROR_GRAPHICS_PARAMETER_ARRAY_TOO_SMALL is especially useful: ERROR_GRAPHICS_PARAMETER_ARRAY_TOO_SMALL reports adequate pointers with insufficient element capacity. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER, recording both names prevents a broad “graphics error” label from merging distinct ownership, capability and lifetime problems.

Verify the repaired path

Validate every optional/required pointer and length pair before crossing the API boundary. Repair of ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER 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_INVALID_POINTER 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_INVALID_POINTER; unrelated adapter, monitor and application state remains unchanged.
For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER, debug-layer, ETW or driver diagnostics no longer report the rejected graphics configuration API pointer contract contract during the same scenario.
The application handles recurrence of ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER without an unbounded retry loop, leaked resource, duplicate composition target or stale topology handle.

Implementation notes for `ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER`

For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER, log EnumDisplayDevices snapshot, DISPLAY_DEVICE flags, session ID, HMONITOR list and physical-monitor count. When the ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER 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_INVALID_POINTER 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_INVALID_POINTER.

Technical references

Microsoft: Multiple display monitors — background for the graphics configuration API pointer contract boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER.
Microsoft: Monitor configuration functions — background for the graphics configuration API pointer contract boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER.
Microsoft: EnumDisplayDevices — background for the graphics configuration API pointer contract boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER.
Microsoft: Graphics error codes — background for the graphics configuration API pointer contract boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_POINTER.

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