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ERROR_BADSTARTPOSITION
the iterator or rowset start position is invalid for the requested operation.
ERROR_BADSTARTPOSITION identifies the condition that this condition The caller supplied a starting bookmark, offset, or cursor position that the provider cannot use. It may be outside the result set, stale after data changes, or incompatible with the cursor type.
Where the result appears
- database rowset navigation.
- iterators over provider-managed collections.
- pagination using saved bookmarks.
- resume tokens after reconnect or transaction change.
How to interpret the result
Interpret the numeric value in the Win32/LRESULT domain and in the context of the API that returned it. Preserve this result before wrappers convert it to an HRESULT, exception, Boolean failure, or provider-specific message. When recording it, note whether the operation produced usable output; this determines whether the value is completion information, control flow, or a terminal failure.
Diagnostic evidence to collect
- start token or bookmark identity.
- result-set generation and query parameters.
- requested direction and row count.
- whether the underlying data or transaction changed.
A diagnostic record for this Win32 error should contain the API name, input flags, relevant handles or object identifiers, thread and process identity, timestamp, and the immediately preceding state transition. Those fields are more useful than a generic screenshot because they show which contract and lifecycle phase produced the value.
Handling and recovery
Restart from a validated position, preferably a stable key or provider-issued continuation token. Expire cached positions when the query, sort order, transaction, or underlying collection changes.
Retry after this result only when an external state relevant to this operation can actually change. When it is rooted in object state, unsupported capability, ownership, or invalid sequencing, an unchanged retry repeats the defect and can obscure the first useful diagnostic record.
Common misinterpretation
Clamping an invalid position to zero can silently return the wrong page. Surface token expiration distinctly when resuming exactly matters.
Guidance for developers
Keep the original this result value and its Win32 domain in structured telemetry. If it crosses COM or another HRESULT-based boundary, store both the source Win32 value and the converted result. If it crosses JSON, RPC, or a database boundary, include error_domain, error_code, operation, and object_state so the receiver does not apply a second conversion.
An automated test should construct the specific state that leads to this result, assert the exact returned value, and verify cleanup on both the normal and exceptional path. The result test should additionally prove that the caller does not collapse this status into an unrelated generic error and does not retry forever.
References
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