What does Windows error code 14094 (ERROR_MALFORMED_SUBSTITUTION_STRING) mean?

ERROR_MALFORMED_SUBSTITUTION_STRING

The localized substitution string has invalid token syntax.

ERROR_MALFORMED_SUBSTITUTION_STRING is Win32 error 14094 (0x0000370E) in Windows localization and servicing infrastructure.

Likely impact: Guessing the intended token at runtime can display or install incorrect localized content.

Typical causes

• a dollar sign is followed by invalid syntax.
• a closing parenthesis is missing.
• escaping was lost during generation.
• localized content altered substitution delimiters.

Troubleshooting steps

1. Verify that every substitution begins with a valid token and has a matching closing parenthesis or escaped dollar sign.
2. Collect raw string and exact bytes and locale and resource identity.
3. Locate the parser position in the raw localized string and compare that token with the source template before localization or substitution expansion.

Useful evidence

• Collect template before localization.
• Collect expanded substitution map.

Recovery and retry

Correct the resource template and escaping at its source, then validate every locale before packaging.

Related errors

ERROR_UNMAPPED_SUBSTITUTION_STRING has valid syntax but no mapping; this code is malformed syntax

Example

A localized manifest string contains $(Name without a closing parenthesis. Resource validation catches the malformed token before servicing.

References

• Microsoft: exact Win32 system error range
• Microsoft: Assembly manifests
• Microsoft: Side-by-side assemblies