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hrFeatureNotAvailable
The object and state that matter
hrFeatureNotAvailable means an API or option is recognized but absent from the engine build or operating mode in use.
This is the legacy Directory Service backup/restore HRESULT form of JET_errFeatureNotAvailable (0xC80003E9).
The key comparison is: unlike hrInvalidParameter, the request can be structurally valid while the feature is unavailable. The first useful observation is to capture the exact function, grbit set, ESENT.dll version, and instance mode. This evidence shows whether startup, normal operation, shutdown, or restore ordering is the actual boundary.
Minimum useful trace
- the successful or failed JetInit/JetTerm sequence and the component that owns it; associate it with this result rather than with a later generic exception.
- all still-live sessions and child handles at the transition.
- the first request accepted after shutdown or before initialization completed.
How to avoid a false diagnosis
Unlike hrInvalidParameter, the request can be structurally valid while the feature is unavailable. The following neighboring results belong to the same broad subsystem but mark different boundaries:
hrAlreadyInitialized | initialization-only work was attempted after the instance had already entered the running state |
|---|---|
hrInvalidOperation | the engine state, object type, or call ordering makes the requested operation invalid |
hrAfterInitialization | restore processing was requested after the ESE instance had already initialized |
The ESE objects in play
| Diagnostic layer | ESE instance state and call ordering |
|---|---|
| Typical API surface | JetCreateInstance, JetSetSystemParameter, JetInit, JetTerm, and restore entry points |
| Code-specific condition | an API or option is recognized but absent from the engine build or operating mode in use |
| First corrective direction | select a supported API path or version-gate the feature rather than retrying unchanged |
Initialization parameters are generally established before JetInit. Handles derived from an instance are not reusable after teardown.
Safe recovery sequence
- Freeze the failing request context and record
0xC80003E9, the Jet API name, and the current instance/session ownership. - Apply the targeted fix: select a supported API path or version-gate the feature rather than retrying unchanged.
- Before retrying the operation, reconcile instance state, admission control, and child-handle cleanup.
Actions that can hide or worsen the problem
- Do not reuse instance-derived handles after the lifecycle transition.
- Do not start a second initializer to work around an ordering defect.
Technical references
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