What does HRESULT 0x80042555 (VDS_E_ALIGN_NOT_ZERO) mean?

Status / error code:

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Description:

The selected partition type requires zero alignment, but the caller supplied a nonzero alignment value.

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VDS_E_ALIGN_NOT_SECTOR_SIZE_MULTIPLE	VDS_E_CACHE_CORRUPT

VDS_E_ALIGN_NOT_ZERO

This HRESULT is partition-type-specific. VDS does not merely validate whether the alignment is mathematically reasonable; some partition types cannot be created with an explicit nonzero alignment. That is why changing the value to another power of two does not address this status.

Why this state matters

Capture the requested MBR type byte or GPT partition type GUID together with ulAlign. CREATE_PARTITION_PARAMETERS is a discriminated structure based on MBR or GPT style, so the type must be interpreted in the correct branch. The diagnostic question is whether the caller selected the correct partition type and creation mode, not how to find a “better” nonzero alignment.

Diagnostic focus

Log partition style, partition type, and ulAlign in the same diagnostic record.
Verify that the MBR or GPT branch of CREATE_PARTITION_PARAMETERS matches the disk style.
Check whether the requested type is one for which VDS requires alignment zero.
Do not cycle through power-of-two alignment values; this status explicitly concerns nonzero alignment.

Technical references

IVdsCreatePartitionEx::CreatePartitionEx · CREATE_PARTITION_PARAMETERS · VDS_PARTITION_STYLE · VDS_PARTITION_PROP · MS-VDS error codes

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