What does Windows error code 14042 (ERROR_SXS_XML_E_UNEXPECTED_WHITESPACE) mean?

 
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ERROR_SXS_XML_E_UNEXPECTED_WHITESPACE

ERROR_SXS_XML_E_UNEXPECTED_WHITESPACE (0x000036DA) is a Windows Side-by-Side XML parser status for application, assembly, policy, or configuration manifest processing.

XML allows whitespace in many places, but not between every pair of lexical characters. This status means the current production requires adjacent syntax and a space, tab, carriage return, or line feed interrupted that token.

Parser boundary

The XML grammar explicitly inserts the S production where whitespace is permitted or required. Whitespace inside names, entity-reference delimiters, or other indivisible lexical forms cannot be treated as harmless formatting.

What to inspect

  • Inspect the exact token split by whitespace at the trace position rather than removing indentation across the whole manifest.
  • Check formatters that insert line breaks inside XML names, references, declaration openers, or closing delimiters.
  • Compare with ERROR_SXS_XML_E_MISSINGWHITESPACE: one reports a separator that is absent, while this status reports whitespace where none is legal.

The SxS parser location is essential because visually identical indentation elsewhere can be valid; repair only the grammar token identified by the first trace error.

References


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