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ERROR_NOTIFY_ENUM_DIR
A notify change request is being completed and the information is not being returned in the caller's buffer. The caller now needs to enumerate the files to find the changes.
ERROR_NOTIFY_ENUM_DIR means that directory change notification overflowed or lost detail, so the caller must rescan the directory to rebuild a correct view.
Where the result appears
- ReadDirectoryChangesW and related filesystem notification consumers.
- file indexers, synchronizers, backup tools, IDEs, and antivirus products.
- high-change directories or small notification buffers.
- network redirectors and providers that cannot return every individual change.
Typical causes
- more changes occurred than fit in the supplied buffer.
- events were coalesced or discarded by the filesystem/provider.
- the watch was interrupted by rename, reconnect, overflow, or directory transition.
- processing lag allowed the producer to outrun the consumer.
What to collect
- watched directory, subtree flag, filter mask, buffer size, and completion mode.
- rate and type of changes during the loss window.
- filesystem/provider type and whether the path is local or remote.
- the application’s last known consistent snapshot or journal position.
Handling and recovery
Treat the notification stream as invalid until a complete enumeration reconciles current state with the application’s model. Do not merely continue with later notifications, because missed creates, deletes, and renames can leave persistent divergence. After reconciliation, restart or re-arm the watch according to the API contract.
Common misinterpretation
The result is not an empty change set. It explicitly says detailed changes are unavailable and enumeration is required.
References
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