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ERROR_DISK_CHANGE
What ERROR_DISK_CHANGE means
ERROR_DISK_CHANGE is a Win32 system result whose documented message is: “The program stopped because an alternate diskette was not inserted.” In practical troubleshooting, it belongs to removable-media workflows that require a different disk, volume, or image to be inserted before the program can continue.
Typical causes
- the application requested the next disk in a multi-volume set but the expected media was not supplied
- drive-letter reuse made the program see the wrong removable volume
- an automated process cannot answer a media-change prompt
How to investigate the result
- Record the requested volume label or serial number and the volume actually mounted
- Check whether the drive letter changed between prompts
- Test the operation in an interactive session to expose hidden media instructions
Developer guidance
Validate media identity before continuing and expose an explicit application-level prompt or callback. Services should fail clearly rather than wait indefinitely for physical media.
Administrator and support guidance
Insert the expected volume, not merely any disk using the same drive letter. For images or virtual media, detach the old image fully before attaching the next one.
Example
A restore utility reads the first archive disk, requests volume two, but automation remounts volume one. The job stops with this result.
How it differs from related results
ERROR_MEDIA_CHANGED says the medium changed unexpectedly; it indicates the program stopped because the alternate medium it expected was not provided.
References
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