What does HRESULT 0xC0262347 (ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP) mean?

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Description:

Specified gamma ramp is invalid.

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ERROR_GRAPHICS_PATH_CONTENT_GEOMETRY_TRANSFORMATION_NOT_SUPPORTED	ERROR_GRAPHICS_GAMMA_RAMP_NOT_SUPPORTED

ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP

What Windows rejected: graphics invalid gamma ramp

Windows reports ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP (0xC0262347) at the vidpn checkpoint. Here, the gamma-ramp representation or values do not satisfy the selected path contract. That narrows the first investigation to VidPN path gamma data instead of the entire GPU stack.

ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP: VidPN handles and subobjects are generation-bound. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP, A monitor hot-plug, docking action, session switch or mode commit can invalidate an otherwise well-formed cached object. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP, 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.

Build a useful diagnostic record

Capture item	Why it matters for `ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP`
Supporting trace	source and target IDs, topology generation, path descriptors, pinned modes, mode-set handles and monitor timing data
Object identity	VidPN path gamma data
Rejected boundary	the gamma-ramp representation or values do not satisfy the selected path contract
Decisive capture	gamma type, control-point count, channel values, target ID, color basis and driver capability
Current graph state	VidPN, topology, source and target mode sets, and the present path connecting them

For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP, 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 ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP.

Separate state from capability

Freeze the ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP generation. Record gamma type, control-point count, channel values, target ID, color basis and driver capability. Before diagnosing ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP, do not resize, hot-plug, recreate or release the object under examination.
Run the narrow ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP comparison. apply the identity gamma ramp in the same path and compare with the rejected ramp. During the ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP comparison, keep every driver, monitor, resource format and unrelated policy unchanged.
Observe the layer after ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP, if the exact check passes, record the next HRESULT or visible outcome. A different downstream result shows that the ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP boundary was crossed.
Repeat ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP through a lifecycle transition. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP, exercise one relevant resize, mode switch, device recreation, hot-plug or session change and confirm that this result does not reuse stale handles.

The comparison with ERROR_GRAPHICS_GAMMA_RAMP_NOT_SUPPORTED is especially useful: ERROR_GRAPHICS_GAMMA_RAMP_NOT_SUPPORTED means the path cannot apply that ramp type. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP, recording both names prevents a broad “graphics error” label from merging distinct ownership, capability and lifetime problems.

Verify the repaired path

Validate ramp type, range and monotonic requirements before setting target gamma. Repair of ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP 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 ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP 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 ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP; unrelated adapter, monitor and application state remains unchanged.
For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP, debug-layer, ETW or driver diagnostics no longer report the rejected VidPN path gamma data contract during the same scenario.
The application handles recurrence of ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP without an unbounded retry loop, leaked resource, duplicate composition target or stale topology handle.

Implementation notes for `ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP`

For ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP, log source and target IDs, topology generation, path descriptors, pinned modes, mode-set handles and monitor timing data. When the ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP 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 ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP 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 ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP.

Technical references

Microsoft: Introduction to Video Present Networks — background for the VidPN path gamma data boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP.
Microsoft: VidPN objects and interfaces — background for the VidPN path gamma data boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP.
Microsoft: Enumerating cofunctional VidPN modes — background for the VidPN path gamma data boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP.
Microsoft: Determining VidPN support — background for the VidPN path gamma data boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_INVALID_GAMMA_RAMP.

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