What does HRESULT 0x8004027F (VFW_E_TIME_EXPIRED) mean?

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Facility:

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Description:

This object cannot be used anymore as its time has expired. How to identify the failing.

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VFW_E_COPYPROT_FAILED	VFW_E_DVD_WRONG_SPEED

VFW_E_TIME_EXPIRED

Exact result and bit fields

VFW_E_TIME_EXPIRED has the unsigned HRESULT value 2147746431 (0x8004027F) and the signed 32-bit representation -2147220865. AllStat describes it as “This object cannot be used anymore as its time has expired”. In the operation that produces this result, a queued or synchronization object is used after its validity interval has expired.

The high bit is set, so this value is a failure HRESULT. Its facility field is 4 (FACILITY_ITF) and its low code is 639 (0x027F). These fields classify this result, but they do not identify which filter, thread, device, file or graph generation returned it.

Contract boundary

This result occurs in the data-delivery and timing contract between DirectShow filters. Reference time, media time, sample flags, buffering and seeking formats are separate metadata channels and must not be substituted for one another without an explicit conversion.

The practical owner to locate for this HRESULT is the first producer of the sample or seeking state and the immediate consumer. When handling this result, capture the native result before a wrapper replaces it with a generic exception, and keep the graph generation or object identity with the record.

Step-by-step diagnosis

Capture it at the first native return, not only at the top-level playback failure.
identify the exact graph stage described here: a queued or synchronization object is used after its validity interval has expired.
compare the live object state, topology and input with the documented interface preconditions.
Before changing filters, drivers, registry data or media for this HRESULT, collect the code-specific evidence below.
Test one evidence-backed the correction on the smallest reproducible graph.
Verify that the corrected run no longer returns it and does not merely replace it with a nearby HRESULT.

Conditions that can produce it

Cause 1 for this HRESULT: the caller waits too long before using the returned command object.
Cause 2 for this HRESULT: playback state advances past the command window.
Cause 3 for this HRESULT: a stale object is retained across seek or graph rebuild.

Evidence worth preserving

Log the interface and method, filter CLSID and friendly name, process and thread, graph state, connected pin names, media-type summary, renderer or device identity where relevant, and the first preceding HRESULT. Record lengths and hashes instead of raw content when the incident includes timestamps, media positions, source identifiers and sample payload details.

Evidence 1 for this HRESULT: object creation and use timestamps.
Evidence 2 for this HRESULT: current playback position and graph generation.
Evidence 3 for this HRESULT: seek, stop or domain events between acquisition and use.

Correction strategy

Action 1 for this HRESULT: consume time-sensitive objects promptly.
Action 2 for this HRESULT: discard them after seek or topology changes.
Action 3 for this HRESULT: request a fresh synchronization object for the current playback generation.

Retry and recovery

Retry rule for this HRESULT: Retry by obtaining a new object for the current state; repeating the operation on the expired object cannot succeed. A safe it retry must use a changed capability, state, object generation or input. While recovering from it, preserve cancellation and avoid replaying side effects when the original operation may have partially completed.

How it differs from nearby results

VFW_E_TIME_ALREADY_PASSED concerns scheduling a command for a past time, whereas it concerns an object whose usable lifetime has ended. Keep those cases separate in telemetry, UI messages and retry policy because their next actions are different.

Example incident

A UI stores a DVD command synchronization object while the user seeks elsewhere, then waits on it minutes later; reacquiring the command avoids it. This example keeps the diagnosis at the specific the boundary instead of treating every DirectShow failure as a codec reinstall problem.

Implementation notes

Code that handles it should preserve the original HRESULT, the failed stage and an opaque correlation identifier. After it, do not infer success from partial graph construction, and do not continue using interfaces retained from a graph or device generation that has already changed.

Operational remediation for this HRESULT should favor supported component installation, device configuration and documented DirectShow calls. Manual registry or driver changes are appropriate only when the collected evidence for this HRESULT points to that layer and a rollback is available.

Official Microsoft references

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