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ERROR_GRAPHICS_NO_AVAILABLE_IMPORTANCE_ORDINALS
Interpret the result in its owning layer: graphics no available importance ordinals
The useful interpretation of ERROR_GRAPHICS_NO_AVAILABLE_IMPORTANCE_ORDINALS (0xC0262354) starts at the vidpn boundary: every valid importance ordinal is already assigned in the topology. In practical terms, inspect present-path priority capacity before changing application-wide graphics settings.
Distinguish exhaustion from an invalid number
This result means all ordinals accepted by the topology are already consumed, so merely choosing another random integer cannot repair the request. Count active paths, list the assigned ordering and identify whether a stale path remained after a target was removed. A focused test removes one optional path, recomputes all ordinals and then adds the intended path using the newly available position.
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.
Capture before recreating objects
| Capture item | Why it matters for it |
|---|---|
| Supporting trace | source and target IDs, topology generation, path descriptors, pinned modes, mode-set handles and monitor timing data |
| Object identity | present-path priority capacity |
| Rejected boundary | every valid importance ordinal is already assigned in the topology |
| Decisive capture | path count, ordinal map, duplicate detection and maximum supported paths |
| Current graph state | VidPN, topology, source and target mode sets, and the present path connecting them |
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.
Reproduce one variable at a time
- Freeze the result generation. Record path count, ordinal map, duplicate detection and maximum supported paths. Before diagnosing this result, do not resize, hot-plug, recreate or release the object under examination.
- Run the narrow it comparison. remove an unnecessary path or rebuild a compact ordinal assignment. 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_MAX_NUM_PATHS_REACHED is especially useful: ERROR_GRAPHICS_MAX_NUM_PATHS_REACHED is the adapter path-count limit. Recording both names prevents a broad “graphics error” label from merging distinct ownership, capability and lifetime problems.
Recovery contract
Allocate ordinals once after topology construction instead of incrementally leaking values. 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 present-path priority capacity 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 present-path priority capacity boundary involved in it.
- Microsoft: VidPN objects and interfaces
- Microsoft: Enumerating cofunctional VidPN modes
- Microsoft: Determining VidPN support
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