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DB_E_NOPROVIDERSREGISTERED
Exact value and result class
DB_E_NOPROVIDERSREGISTERED has unsigned value 2147749492 (0x80040E74) and signed 32-bit value -2147217804. AllStat describes it as “No OLE DB providers of this source type are registered”. In this result, provider enumeration for the requested source type finds no registered OLE DB providers.
The high bit is set, so this result is a failure HRESULT. Its facility is 4 (FACILITY_ITF) and its low code is 3700 (0x0E74). These fields identify an interface-defined result family; they do not identify the provider instance, method, object generation or partial effects.
Contract boundary
OLE DB initialization strings select a provider and set initialization properties before IDBInitialize::Initialize. Syntax errors, missing provider registration and a provider mismatch are distinct from server connectivity and authentication failures.
Investigation of this result should start with the uninitialized data source object, parsed initialization properties and provider CLSID or ProgID. Capture it before ADO, ATL,.NET or a database abstraction layer replaces the native HRESULT with a generic exception.
Conditions that specifically lead to the result
- Cause 1 for it: the required provider is not installed.
- Cause 2 for it: registration is missing for the current process architecture.
- Cause 3 for it: the requested source type has no compatible provider.
Evidence to collect
A useful it event records provider CLSID and version, process architecture, interface IID and method, object correlation ID, transaction state and the immediately preceding HRESULT. When recording it data involving passwords, tokens, server names and complete connection strings, use types, lengths, hashes or redacted identifiers rather than secrets or complete business data.
- Evidence 1 for it: requested source type.
- Evidence 2 for it: 32-bit or 64-bit process architecture.
- Evidence 3 for it: provider CLSID and registry presence.
Diagnostic sequence
- Capture raw
0x80040E74and symbolic it at the native call boundary. - Identify the exact failing stage for it: provider enumeration for the requested source type finds no registered OLE DB providers.
- Retrieve all OLE DB error records for it before another COM call replaces thread error information.
- Compare the live object state and provider-granted capabilities with the input that produced it.
- Reduce the operation to the smallest case that preserves the same init contract.
- Apply one evidence-backed correction for it and verify that the result is not merely replaced by a neighboring HRESULT.
Corrective actions
- Action 1 for it: install and register a supported provider.
- Action 2 for it: match application architecture to provider registration.
- Action 3 for it: surface a clear deployment prerequisite instead of retrying discovery.
Retry and recovery
Retry rule for it: retry after a compatible provider has been installed and registered. A it retry is safe only when the relevant input, object generation, capability or external state has changed. Before replaying a modifying call that returned it, determine whether rows, schema objects or URL resources were partially created or changed.
Do not turn it into an unbounded retry loop. Preserve cancellation for it and use a fresh provider object when the failed call may have left local state ambiguous.
Practical scenario
A 64-bit service cannot see a provider registered only for 32-bit clients; installing the matching build restores enumeration. Keeping it with the method and object state makes this scenario diagnosable instead of reducing it to “database error”.
Difference from nearby HRESULT values
REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG is a general COM class registration failure, while it is OLE DB provider discovery for a source type. Telemetry and remediation for it should keep these outcomes distinct.
Developer and operations guidance
Code handling it should release COM objects in ownership order, retain per-row, per-column or per-property statuses, and log granted capabilities rather than only requested options. While handling it, opaque values such as HACCESSOR, HROW, HCHAPTER, DBID components and provider handles must remain scoped to the object that issued them.
Operational dashboards for it should group by provider version, interface, method and normalized failure stage. A it event must not expose passwords, tokens, full connection strings, unrestricted command text or raw row contents.
Official Microsoft references
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