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ERROR_ALREADY_WIN32
A status value has already been converted to Win32 form
ERROR_ALREADY_WIN32 corresponds to Win32 error value documented as: This result Conversion code received a value that should not be translated a second time. Reapplying mappings can destroy the original number or turn a useful error into a misleading generic result.
Where the result appears in real systems
- NTSTATUS-to-Win32 adapters.
- RPC or driver boundaries that tag error domains.
- Exception translators shared by already-normalized and raw native errors.
Evidence to collect before changing the system
log both the incoming value and its declared domain; trace each conversion boundary; verify use of RtlNtStatusToDosError and HRESULT_FROM_WIN32; add assertions where a function contract specifies Win32 errors
Keep the original numeric value, symbolic name, API return path, thread and process identity, and the exact timestamp in one diagnostic record. Those fields prevent later layers from replacing this specific result with a generic failure and make correlation with ETW or Event Viewer practical.
Handling and recovery
Return the existing Win32 code unchanged. Introduce typed status wrappers or explicit domain metadata so that conversion occurs once at the boundary that owns it.
Code that receives this result should classify it according to the operation that produced it: completion information, a recoverable environmental condition, or a programming defect. The result classification should be made at the API boundary where the caller still knows the handle, object, flags, and expected state.
What not to infer from this code
This result is about error-domain bookkeeping. It does not mean that the original operation succeeded or that the numeric code is inherently invalid.
Implementation guidance
Preserve this result through logging and telemetry instead of immediately converting it to free-form text. When it crosses an HRESULT boundary, record both the original Win32 value and the converted HRESULT; when it crosses RPC, JSON, or another protocol, include an explicit error-domain field so the receiver does not convert it twice.
A useful automated test for this Win32 error should reproduce the relevant state transition, assert the exact returned value, and verify cleanup after both the normal and exceptional path. The test for this Win32 error should also check that a retry is performed only when the underlying state can genuinely change, because unconditional retries often hide ownership, architecture, power, or resource-negotiation defects.
References
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