What does Windows error code 4393 (ERROR_REPARSE_TAG_INVALID) mean?

 
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ERROR_INVALID_REPARSE_DATA ERROR_REPARSE_TAG_MISMATCH

ERROR_REPARSE_TAG_INVALID

The reparse tag itself is not valid for the supplied point

A reparse tag is not an arbitrary 32-bit application identifier. Its high bits describe whether the tag is Microsoft-owned, a name surrogate, or a directory-capable format, and some bit combinations are reserved. Windows rejects tags that violate these rules or use a Microsoft-reserved range without an assigned Microsoft tag.

Inspect the tag value before examining the private payload. Third-party filters should use a properly assigned non-Microsoft tag and REPARSE_GUID_DATA_BUFFER with a stable GUID. Do not copy a tag from another feature merely because its payload layout appears convenient; the tag identifies the component expected to process the data. Kernel code can use the reparse-tag macros and buffer validator to check the flags.

What to inspect

  • Decode the Microsoft, name-surrogate, and directory tag bits.
  • Verify the tag is assigned to the provider using it.
  • Reject reserved combinations before calling the file-system control.

References


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