What does HRESULT 0x00040000 (OLE_S_USEREG) mean?

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OLE_S_USEREG: Tells the OLE caller to obtain the requested class information from registration data rather than the object instance.

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STG_S_POWER_CYCLE_REQUIRED	OLE_S_STATIC

OLE_S_USEREG

OLE requests registry-based information

OLE_S_USEREG is HRESULT 262144 (0x00040000) from winerror.h. The documented description is “Use the registry database to provide the requested information.” The high-order severity bit is clear, so this is a success result, but it carries more information than plain S_OK.

The OLE operation succeeded by directing the caller to use registered class information rather than data supplied by the object instance.

Where the result is encountered

This result can appear in OLE object creation or activation helpers; record the producing interface and method.
This result can appear in class metadata and verb discovery; record the producing interface and method.
It can appear in legacy embedding code that can obtain information from either an object handler or registration database; record the producing interface and method.

Diagnostic sequence

Capture the raw HRESULT 0x00040000 immediately after the returning method and record whether the caller used SUCCEEDED, FAILED, equality testing, or exception translation.
Verify the method-specific state: the class registration is present, correctly scoped for process bitness and user/machine context, and represents the object class actually being activated.

State to verify

The central question is whether the class registration is present, correctly scoped for process bitness and user/machine context, and represents the object class actually being activated.

Correct handling, retry, and recovery

Follow the documented registry lookup path and validate the class registration. Do not replace this status with a generic failure or silently invent object capabilities that are absent from registration.

Evidence to preserve

Preserve CLSID and ProgID.
Preserve 32-bit versus 64-bit registry view.
Preserve registration owner and installation version.
Preserve requested OLE metadata such as verbs or presentation.
Preserve the fallback path selected after the HRESULT.

Difference from nearby HRESULT values

OLE_S_STATIC describes a static presentation object, whereas it tells the caller where to obtain metadata.

Developer and administrator guidance

Practical validation scenario

An OLE container asks an object handler for class information and receives it. It reads the registered verbs for the CLSID, records the registry view used, and avoids launching the server merely to query metadata.

References

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