What does HRESULT 0xC0262431 (ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED) mean?

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Description:

Lead adapter in a linked configuration was not enumerated yet.

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ERROR_GRAPHICS_NOT_A_LINKED_ADAPTER	ERROR_GRAPHICS_CHAINLINKS_NOT_ENUMERATED

ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED

What Windows rejected: graphics leadlink not enumerated

The useful interpretation of ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED (0xC0262431) starts at the linked boundary: the linked configuration exists but its lead adapter has not been enumerated. In practical terms, inspect lead member enumeration before changing application-wide graphics settings.

ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED: Linked-adapter failures are ordered PnP and power problems. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED, Restarting only the lead member can make the state less consistent and hide the first failing chain device. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED, 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_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED`
Rejected boundary	the linked configuration exists but its lead adapter has not been enumerated
Decisive capture	lead device instance, chain members, PnP enumeration order and start state
Current graph state	lead adapter, chain members and their PnP/power transitions
Supporting trace	device-instance IDs, lead/chain role, PnP problem codes, Dx states and start/power IRP ordering
Object identity	lead member enumeration

For ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED, 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_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED.

Separate state from capability

Freeze the ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED generation. Record lead device instance, chain members, PnP enumeration order and start state. Before diagnosing ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED, do not resize, hot-plug, recreate or release the object under examination.
Run the narrow ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED comparison. wait for lead enumeration or correct device ordering before starting the chain. During the ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED comparison, keep every driver, monitor, resource format and unrelated policy unchanged.
Observe the layer after ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED, if the exact check passes, record the next HRESULT or visible outcome. A different downstream result shows that the ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED boundary was crossed.
Repeat ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED through a lifecycle transition. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED, 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_CHAINLINKS_NOT_ENUMERATED is especially useful: ERROR_GRAPHICS_CHAINLINKS_NOT_ENUMERATED concerns one or more non-lead members. For ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED, recording both names prevents a broad “graphics error” label from merging distinct ownership, capability and lifetime problems.

Verify the repaired path

Repair PnP enumeration dependencies and avoid caching partial chain membership. Repair of ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED 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_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED 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_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED; unrelated adapter, monitor and application state remains unchanged.
For ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED, debug-layer, ETW or driver diagnostics no longer report the rejected lead member enumeration contract during the same scenario.
The application handles recurrence of ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED without an unbounded retry loop, leaked resource, duplicate composition target or stale topology handle.

Implementation notes for `ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED`

For ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED, log device-instance IDs, lead/chain role, PnP problem codes, Dx states and start/power IRP ordering. When the ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED 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_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED 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_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED.

Technical references

Microsoft: DirectX graphics kernel subsystem — background for the lead member enumeration boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED.
Microsoft: WDDM architecture — background for the lead member enumeration boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED.
Microsoft: Display miniport driver requirements — background for the lead member enumeration boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED.
Microsoft: Graphics error codes — background for the lead member enumeration boundary involved in ERROR_GRAPHICS_LEADLINK_NOT_ENUMERATED.

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