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DNS_ERROR_INVALID_NAME_CHAR
A hard validation failure
DNS_ERROR_INVALID_NAME_CHAR is returned by Windows name validation for characters that are invalid under the selected DNS_NAME_FORMAT. Microsoft lists spaces and a defined punctuation set; it also rejects an asterisk unless it is used as the first label of a multi-label name validated as a wildcard. This is stricter than DNS_ERROR_NON_RFC_NAME, which can be a portability warning for underscores or extended characters.
The first reported error may not be the only one. DnsValidateName checks conditions in a progression and returns when it finds the first problem, so correcting one character can expose a later length, numeric-label, or format error.
What to inspect
- Log Unicode code points, not only rendered text; invisible whitespace and look-alike punctuation are common causes.
- Confirm the intended format: hostname label, domain, SRV record, or wildcard.
- Do not silently delete characters, because that can change the requested owner name or create a collision.
- Normalize input at the user-interface boundary, then validate the exact string that will be queried or registered.
References
- Microsoft: DnsValidateNameW validation order
- Microsoft: DNS_NAME_FORMAT
- RFC 1035: preferred name syntax
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