| Previous | Next |
| TBS_E_INVALID_CONTEXT | TBS_E_IOERROR |
TBS_E_INSUFFICIENT_BUFFER
Where the failure is raised
TBS_E_INSUFFICIENT_BUFFER (0x80284005) belongs to the public and internal TPM Base Services path. The base What Is page already shows the short Windows message; the additional diagnostic value is that this result marks the public TBS output buffer is valid but cannot hold the full returned result.
The first producer to identify for it is the TBS client library, local RPC service and command scheduler before or around device execution. TBS centralizes TPM access through a local RPC service. A failure can therefore occur in the caller contract, RPC/service startup, scheduling, buffer handling or TPM submission, and each layer requires different evidence.
Evidence that changes the diagnosis
| Question | Evidence for it |
|---|---|
| What exact state was rejected? | the public TBS output buffer is valid but cannot hold the full returned result |
| Which layer owns the result? | The TBS client library, local RPC service and command scheduler before or around device execution. |
| What must be correlated? | input capacity, required size returned through the length parameter, command maximum response, allocation arithmetic, and whether the same variable was reused incorrectly |
| What is the controlled comparison? | perform the documented sizing call or allocate the reported size and repeat without changing the command |
A useful this result trace links three code-specific timelines: the application call, the local TBS/provider or firmware event, and the raw command/response exchange. The result timestamps should describe one attempt; combining data from separate retries is particularly misleading for authorization sessions, context counters, DAA stages and lockout state.
A controlled verification
The one-variable check is to perform the documented sizing call or allocate the reported size and repeat without changing the command. Record the before/after state that the result command is allowed to change. If the operation can have side effects, use a disposable key, session, counter or NV index rather than production material.
- Capture this result and
0x80284005at the first code-specific return boundary. - Decode the result state: TBS function, context, pointer and buffer contract, service state, command size and nested status.
- Run the result controlled comparison once and preserve both binary transcripts.
- Verify the expected this result output or state transition instead of relying on absence of a UI message.
Related TPM and TBS results
| Comparison code | Built-in distinction |
|---|---|
TBS_E_INVALID_CONTEXT_PARAM | One or more context parameters is invalid — a separate checkpoint when compared with it. |
TBS_E_INVALID_CONTEXT | The specified context handle does not refer to a valid context — a separate checkpoint when compared with it. |
TBS_E_SERVICE_START_PENDING | The TBS service has been started but is not yet running — a separate checkpoint when compared with it. |
It specifically answers whether the public TBS output buffer is valid but cannot hold the full returned result. In contrast, TBS_E_BUFFER_TOO_LARGE rejects an excessive buffer rather than insufficient capacity.
Correction and proof
To remediate it, honor the returned required length and cap allocations against the documented TBS maximum. Do not restart or disable TBS before capturing its service and event data. Most caller-contract errors are reproducible without touching TPM ownership, firmware state or stored keys.
After correcting it, start with a fresh caller context where the protocol requires one, replay the original intended operation, and confirm that hardware-backed policy remains enforced.
Authoritative references
- Microsoft: About TPM Base Services — source for the checkpoint.
- Microsoft: TBS return codes — source for the checkpoint.
- Microsoft: Tbsi_Context_Create — source for the checkpoint.
- Microsoft: Tbsip_Submit_Command — source for the checkpoint.
Looking for a different code? Search another status or error code.