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ERROR_NO_MORE_DEVICES
No additional local devices are available.
ERROR_NO_MORE_DEVICES is Win32 error 1248 (0x4E0). It is an exhaustion or end-of-enumeration result for a device-oriented API. The term “local device” depends on the provider: it can refer to names or entries exposed by a legacy device manager rather than to physical hardware currently visible in Device Manager.
First determine whether this is normal completion
Some enumeration interfaces use a terminal status to say that no further entries exist. In that context, 1248 can be a valid empty-list or end-of-list condition. In an allocation or connection operation, the same text may indicate that the provider has no free local device slots. The API documentation, not the generic message alone, decides whether the result is expected.
Evidence to collect
- the enumeration handle, index, filter, and provider name
- how many entries were returned before 1248
- the local device naming scheme, such as ports or provider aliases
- device-arrival and removal events during the operation
- whether a reconnect or service restart changed the available set
Diagnostic sequence
Repeat the operation with an unfiltered enumeration and compare the raw set with the application’s filtered view. Check for stale handles that survived a device removal, and verify that each successful enumeration result is released according to the API contract. A leaked enumeration context can make later calls appear exhausted even while devices exist.
If the operation assigns local names, enumerate existing assignments and identify abandoned records. Do not infer that hardware is defective until the provider’s namespace and allocation limits have been examined.
Recovery
For ordinary enumeration completion, stop cleanly and preserve the entries already returned. For an unexpected empty result, refresh the provider state after device-change notification or recreate the enumeration handle. If all names are allocated, release only assignments owned by the application or ask the administrator to remove a confirmed stale mapping.
Related statuses
ERROR_NO_MORE_ITEMS is the common generic end-of-enumeration code, while ERROR_NO_MORE_FILES terminates file searches. Error 1248 specifically names local devices and should not be translated into “device not found” without API context.
Example
A management tool enumerates legacy communication devices and receives 1248 on the first call. Telemetry initially labels every serial port missing, but the actual provider service had not started. After the provider becomes ready, a new enumeration context returns the expected devices; retrying the old exhausted handle did not.
References
- Microsoft: System Error Codes (1000–1299)
- Microsoft: Enumerating Installed Devices
- Microsoft: Device Management
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