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ERROR_VMCOMPUTE_INVALID_LAYER
Windows container layers require more than an extracted directory tree
ERROR_VMCOMPUTE_INVALID_LAYER indicates that HCS or its container storage helpers could not recognize a layer in the image chain. Windows layers carry filesystem and metadata semantics consumed by the Windows container storage implementation; an arbitrary archive or partially copied cache directory is not equivalent.
The damaged layer may be a base layer, an intermediate diff or the writable layer. Since content-addressed runtimes can reuse cached blobs, one corrupt local object can affect every image that references it while unrelated images continue to start.
Evidence and corrective action
- Identify the exact layer digest or local layer directory named by the runtime and compare it with registry metadata.
- Verify downloads and extraction completed without disk-full, antivirus quarantine or interrupted import.
- Inspect the complete parent chain; replacing only the top application layer may leave the invalid ancestor in place.
- Remove and repull the specific corrupt content through the runtime’s supported storage commands rather than editing cache files manually.
- Confirm that OCI image media types and Windows-specific layer handling are supported by the runtime version.
References
- Microsoft: HCS container storage functions
- Microsoft: hcsshim Windows layer implementation
- OCI Image Specification: layers
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