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ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_PRIMARYSURFACE_SIZE
Why this is not a generic GPU failure: graphics invalid primarysurface size
ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_PRIMARYSURFACE_SIZE, value 0xC026233A, is produced by vidpn when the submitted primary-surface width or height cannot represent the selected source mode. The investigation should stay attached to source-mode primary surface geometry and to the exact generation in which it was obtained.
This result: VidPN handles and subobjects are generation-bound. A monitor hot-plug, docking action, session switch or mode commit can invalidate an otherwise well-formed cached object. The built-in one-line message identifies the immediate result; diagnosis also needs the producing API, object ownership and the display generation current at the time.
The smallest evidence set
| Capture item | Why it matters for it |
|---|---|
| Rejected boundary | the submitted primary-surface width or height cannot represent the selected source mode |
| Decisive capture | surface size, source mode, visible region, rotation, scaling and format |
| Current graph state | VidPN, topology, source and target mode sets, and the present path connecting them |
| Supporting trace | source and target IDs, topology generation, path descriptors, pinned modes, mode-set handles and monitor timing data |
| Object identity | source-mode primary surface geometry |
Preserve the unsigned HRESULT, symbolic name, first failing API and timestamp in one record. If cleanup later fails too, keep that secondary result separately from this result.
A/B test for the exact condition
- Freeze the result generation. Record surface size, source mode, visible region, rotation, scaling and format. Before diagnosing this result, do not resize, hot-plug, recreate or release the object under examination.
- Run the narrow this result comparison. submit the exact pinned source-mode size and compare with the rejected dimensions. During the result comparison, keep every driver, monitor, resource format and unrelated policy unchanged.
- Observe the layer after it. for it, if the exact check passes, record the next HRESULT or visible outcome. A different downstream result shows that the boundary was crossed.
- Repeat it through a lifecycle transition. for it, exercise one relevant resize, mode switch, device recreation, hot-plug or session change and confirm that it does not reuse stale handles.
The comparison with ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_VISIBLEREGION_SIZE is especially useful: ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_VISIBLEREGION_SIZE concerns the visible region inside the surface. Recording both names prevents a broad “graphics error” label from merging distinct ownership, capability and lifetime problems.
Safe remediation
Calculate primary-surface geometry from the selected source mode and transformation rules. Repair of it is complete only when the original call succeeds or returns its documented nonfatal status and the same lifetime test remains correct after a second display transition.
- The result trace identifies one producing API and one current graphics object, rather than only the final UI symptom.
- The passing run changes exactly the condition described for it; unrelated adapter, monitor and application state remains unchanged.
- debug-layer, ETW or driver diagnostics no longer report the rejected source-mode primary surface geometry contract during the same scenario.
- The application handles recurrence of it without an unbounded retry loop, leaked resource, duplicate composition target or stale topology handle.
Implementation notes
Log source and target IDs, topology generation, path descriptors, pinned modes, mode-set handles and monitor timing data. When the path returns a count, size, status flag or replacement object, retain it even on a nonfatal result because it can direct the next call.
A production fallback for it should be explicit: pause rendering, re-enumerate, rebuild one cache entry, recreate a device, or decline a protected path only when this layer calls for that action. Reinstalling every display component, deleting all caches or forcing a resolution change is not an evidence-based fix for it.
Technical references
- Microsoft: Introduction to Video Present Networks — background for the source-mode primary surface geometry boundary involved in it.
- Microsoft: VidPN objects and interfaces
- Microsoft: Enumerating cofunctional VidPN modes
- Microsoft: Determining VidPN support
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