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TPM_E_RETRY
Where the failure is raised
TPM_E_RETRY (0x80280800) belongs to Windows command mediation around the TPM. This result means the TPM is temporarily busy and explicitly permits the same command to be resubmitted later.
The first producer to identify is TBS command blocking, virtual-handle translation, retry or anti-hammering logic. Windows TBS schedules and mediates commands from multiple clients. It can block commands, translate virtual handles, request retry, and preserve anti-hammering policy before or after the raw device command path.
Keep the result value 0x80280800 attached to the symbolic name. Some logs may store it as a negative signed integer or expose only a generic CNG, WMI, BitLocker or enrollment message. Preserve the original HRESULT because those representations can hide the TPM- or TBS-specific condition.
Evidence that changes the diagnosis
- Producer: TBS command blocking, virtual-handle translation, retry or anti-hammering logic.
- Rejected invariant: the TPM is temporarily busy and explicitly permits the same command to be resubmitted later.
- What to capture: complete command bytes, retry count and delay, device load, preceding long command, TBS priority, and whether input state changes between attempts.
- Safe comparison: resubmit the identical idempotent command with bounded backoff and confirm that no object or nonce input is regenerated between retries.
A controlled verification
| Question | Evidence |
|---|---|
| What exact state was rejected? | the TPM is temporarily busy and explicitly permits the same command to be resubmitted later |
| Which layer owns the result? | TBS command blocking, virtual-handle translation, retry or anti-hammering logic. |
| What must be correlated? | complete command bytes, retry count and delay, device load, preceding long command, TBS priority, and whether input state changes between attempts |
| Controlled comparison | resubmit the identical idempotent command with bounded backoff and confirm that no object or nonce input is regenerated between retries |
Related TPM and TBS results
| Constant | Meaning |
|---|---|
TPM_E_DEFEND_LOCK_RUNNING | The TPM is defending against dictionary attacks and is in a time-out period. |
TPM_E_EMBEDDED_COMMAND_UNSUPPORTED | The command within the transport is not supported. |
TPM_E_EMBEDDED_COMMAND_BLOCKED | The command within the transport was blocked. |
The codes above may appear in the same workflow, but they are not aliases. TPM_E_DEFEND_LOCK_RUNNING is a timed dictionary-attack defense state, not general command busy.
Correction and proof
Implement bounded retry according to the command’s side-effect rules and surface persistent busy behavior with firmware and timing evidence. Do not disable command policy globally to make one test pass. First establish the caller, command code and supported higher-level alternative, because command blocking is a security boundary.
Proof consists of a successful replay plus validation of the intended key, PCR, NV, context, event-log, provider or service result. A software fallback or a newly provisioned blank TPM answers a different question than the original failure.
Source material
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