What does NTSTATUS 0xC000038E (STATUS_DRIVER_FAILED_PRIOR_UNLOAD) mean?

STATUS_DRIVER_FAILED_PRIOR_UNLOAD

What STATUS_DRIVER_FAILED_PRIOR_UNLOAD means

STATUS_DRIVER_FAILED_PRIOR_UNLOAD (0xC000038E) means Windows refused to load a driver because a previous version of that driver is still resident in memory. This is a driver-lifecycle condition, not a generic file-system or installation failure.

What to verify

• Record the exact driver or minifilter name and the API or service operation that attempted the new load.
• Determine whether an earlier unload was requested and whether references, attached devices, filter instances, callbacks, or open handles still keep the old image active.
• Check whether the load attempt races with service stop, filter detach, device removal, or driver update activity.

Recovery

Complete the previous driver's teardown before retrying the load. Release the owner that still references the old instance and confirm that the driver is no longer resident. A reboot can clear a genuinely stuck prior instance, but it should not replace investigation of a repeatable unload-lifecycle defect.

References

• Microsoft Open Specifications: NTSTATUS values
• Microsoft: Using NTSTATUS values