What does Windows error code 4392 (ERROR_INVALID_REPARSE_DATA) mean?

 
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ERROR_REPARSE_ATTRIBUTE_CONFLICT ERROR_REPARSE_TAG_INVALID

ERROR_INVALID_REPARSE_DATA

The reparse point payload does not satisfy the required buffer layout

REPARSE_DATA_BUFFER and REPARSE_GUID_DATA_BUFFER begin with a tag and a declared data length, followed by tag-specific content. Windows validates the total buffer length, header fields, offsets, and sizes before storing or processing the point. This error indicates malformed data rather than an unsupported but well-formed tag.

Validate the buffer before issuing FSCTL_SET_REPARSE_POINT. For symbolic links and mount points, check that substitute-name and print-name offsets are byte offsets within the path buffer and that each length is even for UTF-16 data. Ensure ReparseDataLength excludes the fixed header where required and does not exceed the platform limit. Kernel components can use FsRtlValidateReparsePointBuffer to catch these inconsistencies early.

What to inspect

  • Compare the outer buffer size with ReparseDataLength.
  • Validate every offset and length against the payload boundary.
  • Use the structure required for Microsoft or third-party tags.

References


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