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DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT
Source row does not exist
Exact value and result class
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT has unsigned value 2147749521 (0x80040E91) and signed 32-bit value -2147217775. AllStat describes it as “Source row does not exist”. In this result, a scoped copy, move or related resource operation cannot find the source row named by the source URL.
The high bit is set, so DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT is a failure HRESULT. Its facility is 4 (FACILITY_ITF) and its low code is 3729 (0x0E91). For DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT, these fields identify an interface-defined result family; they do not identify the provider instance, method, object generation or partial effects.
Contract boundary
For DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT, the OLE DB binder model maps URLs to row, rowset, stream or collection objects. For DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT, URL scope, requested object type, bind flags, asynchronous capability, locks and server reachability are independent parts of the binding contract.
Investigation of DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT should start with the binder or session, normalized URL, requested GUID/object type and DBBINDURLSTATUS result. Capture DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT before ADO, ATL, .NET or a database abstraction layer replaces the native HRESULT with a generic exception.
Diagnostic sequence
- Capture raw
0x80040E91and symbolicDB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECTat the native call boundary. - Identify the exact failing stage for
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT: a scoped copy, move or related resource operation cannot find the source row named by the source URL. - Retrieve all OLE DB error records for
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECTbefore another COM call replaces thread error information. - Compare the live object state and provider-granted capabilities with the input that produced
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT. - Reduce the
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECToperation to the smallest case that preserves the same binder contract. - Apply one evidence-backed correction for
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECTand verify that the result is not merely replaced by a neighboring HRESULT.
Conditions that specifically lead to this result
- Cause 1 for
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT: the source was deleted or renamed. - Cause 2 for
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT: the URL resolves in a different scope than expected. - Cause 3 for
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT: a concurrent operation moved the source first.
Evidence to collect
A useful DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT event records provider CLSID and version, process architecture, interface IID and method, object correlation ID, transaction state and the immediately preceding HRESULT. When recording DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT data involving URLs containing credentials, tenant paths and remote object names, use types, lengths, hashes or redacted identifiers rather than secrets or complete business data.
- Evidence 1 for
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT: normalized source URL and scope. - Evidence 2 for
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT: existence check immediately before the operation. - Evidence 3 for
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT: concurrent move or delete correlation IDs.
Corrective actions
- Action 1 for
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT: refresh the source identity before mutation. - Action 2 for
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT: make copy or move workflows resilient to concurrent disappearance. - Action 3 for
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT: treat absence as a distinct idempotency outcome where appropriate.
Retry and recovery
Retry rule for DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT: retry only after the source row exists again or a new valid source is selected. A DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT retry is safe only when the relevant input, object generation, capability or external state has changed. Before replaying a modifying call that returned DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT, determine whether rows, schema objects or URL resources were partially created or changed.
Do not turn DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT into an unbounded retry loop. Preserve cancellation for DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT and use a fresh provider object when the failed call may have left local state ambiguous.
Difference from nearby HRESULT values
DB_E_NOTFOUND is a broad absence result, while DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT specifically identifies the source row of a resource operation. Telemetry and remediation for DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT should keep these outcomes distinct.
Practical scenario
Two workers move the same resource; the second observes that the source row no longer exists and records an idempotent completion. Keeping DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT with the method and object state makes this scenario diagnosable instead of reducing it to “database error”.
Developer and operations guidance
Code handling DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT 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 DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT, opaque values such as HACCESSOR, HROW, HCHAPTER, DBID components and provider handles must remain scoped to the object that issued them.
Operational dashboards for DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT should group by provider version, interface, method and normalized failure stage. A DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT event must not expose passwords, tokens, full connection strings, unrestricted command text or raw row contents.
Official Microsoft references
- Microsoft: direct binding in OLE DB — official documentation relevant to
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT. - Microsoft: OLE DB root binder object — official documentation relevant to
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT. - Microsoft: OLE DB row objects — official documentation relevant to
DB_E_NOSOURCEOBJECT.
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